Dramas which Make us Feel Proud

Television may be considered as small screen entertainment but it has given us immense quality amusement through big names in terms of actors and successful drama productions – from the old days of PTV to the recent times of private channels.

Last year began with all eyes glued to Khirad and Asher’s tragic love story in Humsafar, eventually introducing us to Durre- Shehwar’s life and later making us witnesses to Aiman’s Maat to her overambitious sister Saman.

Humsafar, which started in the last quarter of 2011 and went on until March 2012, took Pakistanis by storm. Not only was the audience in Pakistan going crazy over it but it had major ratings coming in from everywhere in the world. Humsafar amidst highly positive and some negative comments became a huge hit. Written by Farhat Ishtiaq and directed by Sarmad Sultan Khoosat, Humsafar was a story about a forced arranged marriage which eventually turned into a romantic relationship between the couple only to be maliciously destroyed later.

Khoosat’s epic direction and the way he weaved the words into perfect frames was impeccable. Humsafar was a perfect example of how a simple story, put together brilliantly with strong art direction, captivating acting and soul stirring music, can hold the audience spellbound.

Maat was the story of two sisters, Aiman and Saman who belonged to a low income household. Saman, the younger sister who dreamt of making it big in life, was arrogant and materialistic, while Aiman, the older one was compassionate, loving and believed in sacrificing.

Written by Umera Ahmed, the production featured a straightforward storyline, dialogues full of impact and excellent performances by Aamina Sheikh (Aiman) and Saba Qamar (Saman). The drama also featured Adnan Siddiqui (Faisal) as Aiman and Saman's cousin and romantic interest.

Umera Ahmed’s writings gave us yet another hit.

In this serial, the plot revolved around two couples from different generations exploring the intricacies of life, relationships and their share of problems. Packed with smart dialogue and gripping performances by the cast which included Samina Peerzada, Qavi Khan, Nadia Jamil, Noman Ejaz, Sanam Baloch and others.

Director Haissam Hussein’s beautiful depiction about complexities of married life be it in today’s urban setting or yesterday’s traditional times, showed how certain issues are common in every relationship. It also depicted how powerful a role a woman can play when giving her marriage every bit of patience and resolve possible.

After Humsafar, Mahira was back with her beauty and charm on screen, this time as Falak in a production called Shehr-e-Zaat. Falak was a beautiful yet unsympathetic character who was shown to be self-centered, loathing poverty and despising ugliness.

Director Sarmad Sultan Khoosat was clear in what he wanted out of Falak’s character, settings and the people that surrounded her. Mahira did justice to her role as a selfish young girl who was head over heals for Salman Anser (Mikeal) and later as a vulnerable, dejected woman looking for God’s help and guidance in her life. Umera Ahmed gave the audience another master piece which made many think about the importance of righteousness and humility in their lives.