Pakistani drama industry has always stood out by producing exceptional dramas for the viewers. It created masterpieces that reflected our culture with the element of humor and daily life issues. Although there weren’t any private channels in the early times it stood apart since the beginning. Pakistan Television Network (PTV) was the first channel that laid the foundation for some iconic Pakistani TVshows that amused us continually.
However, there had been a dry spell for some time and many people switched to Indian dramas. Then some popular entertainment channels like HUM TV, ARY, GEO, and several others began making dramas with engaging topics. They gave boom to the industry, revive the viewership, and earn back the audience’s confidence. Now, our industry is at its peak and our artists have been consistent at producing praiseworthy content.
Here are some super hit dramas of all time.
1. Alpha Bravo Charlie
This thriller, comedy, action, and a romantic masterpiece was created by ISPR and Shoaib Mansoor screened in 1998. The story revolves around three friends, Faraz, Kashif, and Gulsher also known as Alpha, Bravo, Charlie respectively, who were passionate about their career and wished to begin their vocations in the Pakistan army.
The starting episodes manifested the background of each character and showed how their journey commenced as army officers. Faraz is an impeccable guy who is never wrong, Kashif’s character is full of humor and is recognized as a naughty boy, while Gulsher is a courteous lad who is shy at the same time. These young carefree men realized that there’s more to life than their existing easy-going lifestyle as they experienced the real world and the challenges that come along with including insecurities, sorrows, jealousy.
This show also has one prominent female character Shahnaaz, who is a well-educated and strong-headed female. She played an important role in the life of these three men. It was a successful piece of work as it gave patriotic vibes and a strong message that everyone must lead with an ambitious life. It is still remembered as a legendary show and has been rated 9.5/10 on IMDB.
2. Dhuwan
Originally aired on PTV in 1994, this extraordinary series is about five young friends, who came from distinguishable backgrounds but the same goal in life that is to serve the community. The main characters are: Azhar who is an engineer but quits his job to serve the society, Dr. Dawood who works at a local clinic and later joins the team, Naveed also known as Nido works at his father’s factory, Wajid- a journalist reporting crimes, and Hameed- arms and ammunition vendor in Quetta.
These friends join and form a crack squad of police commandos to control the criminal activities in Quetta, Pakistan. The show only had 11 episodes but was a super hit. The plot is enthralling and engaging that it can be viewed today as well. It is rated 9.5/10 on IMDB.
3. Ankahi
Considered as one of the most popular drama serials of the ’80s, Ankahi revolves around the life of a young determined girl named Sana Murad. The show was broadcasted on PTV in 1982 and is famous for its witty dialogues. Sana dreams of becoming like her best friend Sara, wealthy and prosperous. Due to her father’s death, Sana begins with her hunt for a job to ease the financial burden on her family.
Even after her failure at an interview, she manages to get a job at a company and starts working under the managing director, Taimur Ahmad. At Sara’s wedding, she meets Sajjad’s (groom) best friend Faraz who falls in love with her and follows her everywhere. In the meanwhile, Sana’s aunt Zakia arrives from America with her son Moby and wants them to tie the knots.
However, Moby falls for another girl Marium and Faraz on the other hand made a good reputation in Sana’s family. Sana got interested in her boss Taimur, but soon she realizes that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Faraz. The show is filled with romance and humor and quickly became a bit of a cult in Pakistan.
4. Humsafar
Aired on Hum TV in 2011, this supernova directed by Sarmad Khoosat is an adaption of a novel by Farhat Ishtiaq. The drama did not only win the hearts of Pakistani viewers but was also able to capture the wide overseas audience.
The serial has a star-studded cast including Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Naveen Waqar, Atiqa Odho, Behroz Sabzwari, and others. The story is about a newlywed couple, Khirad and Ashar (Mahira and Fawad), and their sufferings and hardships as they did not have affection initially. Khirad belongs to a lower-middle-class family whose mother is diagnosed with cancer. Her mother pleads Khirad’s uncle to marry her daughter in a safe and sound house.
Guilty for not taking good care of his sister, Khirad’s uncle marries her to his own son Ashar. The decision devastates Khirad but she was helpless and ties the knot with her cousin. Ashar’s maternal cousin Sara, who was deeply in love with him makes thousands of attempts and conspiracies to ruin their marriage.
However, after an extremely rough patch, the couple manages to reconcile and finally fell in love with each other. The drama gained immense popularity and is rated 9.0/10 on IMDB.
5. Zindagi Gulzar Hai
This tv show is renowned for its brilliant script and excellent artists. It was also an original HUM Tv show, telecasted in 2013-2014, directed by Sultana Siddiqui and produced by Momina Duraid. The story is based on two individuals, Kashaf Murtaza (Sanam Saeed) and Zaroon Junaid (Fawad Khan), and their families of contrasting backgrounds.
Kashaf came from a middle-class family whose father abandoned them because he did not have any male child. Whereas, Zaroon came from a rich and modern family. They both were university mates but did not get along as Zaroon thought she wants to outperform him and Kashaf considered him a flirt. Zaroon tries to get close to her just to win some bet with friends, Kashaf finds out and starts hating him. Later, Zaroon realizes that Kashaf is an innocent girl and falls for her simplicity.
At first, Kashaf was reluctant to show any interest in him and all his attempts were rebuffed, but later destiny brought them together and Zaroon tests his luck one more time and the odds go in his favor. They got hitched but their lives were full of tribulations.
After some time they understood that there’s more to life and their love for each other matters the most. They realized that they want to grow together and lived happily. The drama was highly applauded and was widely viewed in various other countries as well. It is rated 9.0/10 on IMDB.
6. Pyarey Afzal
It is a romantic Pakistani tv show that aired on ARY digital in 2013 and was written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar and directed by Nadeem Baig. The drama is hinged on the exceptional love story starring Hamza Ali Abbasi as Afzal and Ayeza Khan as Farah. Afzal is a son of a Maulvi Subhanallah who has feelings for a mill owner’s daughter Farah.
Afzal spends most of his time in useless activities that his father detests. Farah hires Afzal to act as her lover to get rid of a family friend who is all set to marry her with her parent’s blessings. They were successful in ruining the arrangements however, little did she know that Afzal’s feelings were genuine. Later, Afzal sends a marriage proposal to Farah which she rejects with lots of humiliation. Furious Afzal leaves the town with a promise to never return.
He arrives in Karachi and starts working as a vigilante for undercover police for some time. But the circumstances bring him back to his hometown when he hears about his father’s illness. On the other hand, Farah develops feelings for Afzal and decides to confess about them but something else was written in their fate.
Afzal gets shot while talking to Farah on call as he had quit his job which he was supposed to continue. The drama had an unconventional ending and was highly appreciated by viewers. It has won several awards at Lux Style Awards and also the People’s Choice Award. The drama is well known for its script, dialogue deliverance, and unconventional love story. It has a 9.1 out 10 ratings on IMDB.
7. Diyar e Dil
This drama serial was originally aired on Hum TV in 2015 and was a big success. The story whirls around a scattered family led by Agha Jan, his children and grandchildren, Wali and Farah. Agha Jan’s son Behroze (Mikaal Zulfiqar) calls off his engagement with Arjumand(Hareem Farooq) and leaves the house to marry his love Ruhina (Sanam Saeed). In order to save the family from embarrassment, Behroze’s younger brother, Suhaib marries Arjumand.
Suhaib starts his quest to reunite his brother with the family. He finally succeeds in finding his brother and he decides to marry his son Wali(Osman Khalid) with his niece Farah (Maya Ali). Both the kids were forced to marry and weren’t happy with each other. This gave Agha Jan great grief that he falls sick.
To save his life, the couple came to an agreement that if Farah spends three months in their house, Osman will divorce her as per her wish. Later, Farah realizes that Agha Jan and the rest of the family are good people and she gets attached to them and decides to stay with them forever. The drama was well recognized and was rated 9.1/10 on IMDB.
8. Mere Paas Tum Ho
It is a romantic drama telecasted on ARY Digital starring Humayun Saeed as Danish, Ayeza Khan as Mehwish, and Adnan Siddiqui as Shehwar. MPTH is a spectacular work of Khalil ur Rehman (writer) and Nadeem Baig (director). The show is extremely famous for its dialogues and was the first drama to be screened in Pakistan’s cinemas.
The story is about betrayal. Danish’ character is a simple man with virtues depicting a typical Pakistani culture. He works as a government servant and his wife and son mean the world to him. Mehwish fells for her cunning boss, Shehwar, and gets involved in extramarital affairs.
She divorces Danish to marry Shehwar who later abandons her because his wife sends him to jail and takes back all the wealth. Mehwish’s life is then filled with regrets and shame but she could not go back in time. The betrayal gradually eats away Danish and he dies in the end. The serial was a blockbuster and became the talk of the town. It is rated 8.3/10 on IMDB.
9. Tanhaiyaan
This drama was released in 1986 on PTV. The legendary show was written by Haseena Moin and directed by Shazad Khalil. The plot focuses on two sisters, Zara (Shehnaz Sheikh) and Sanya (Marina Khan), who lost their parents in an unfortunate car accident. After their demise, the girls find out that their father had huge liabilities and in order to meet them they sell their house. They then start living with their maternal aunt, Zubi.
Although Sanya was ready to adapt to the new life, Zara starts a mission to buy back their house. She is finally able to muster enough wealth to re-purchase the house, however, when she visits the home she is terrified by the memories and finds no joy in having it back. She realizes that in the quest of money, she got so much distant from her friends and family and has neglected her sister. Later she meets an accident and becomes bed-bound for quite some time.
Due to her condition, her engagement gets called off and after some hurdles, she reunites with her childhood friend Zain who was in love with her, and then they lived happily ever after. The drama was so popular that years later its sequel was produced with the name “Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay”. The drama is rated 8.9/10 on IMDB.
10. Daastan
It is a historical drama focused on the hardship of a Bano and her Fiance due to the 1947 partition. It depicts the time of the Indian Subcontinent division and the independence of Pakistan. It is an adaptation of the novel Bano by Razia Butt. The drama gained huge recognition due to the story starring Saba Qamar as Suraiya, Ahsan Khan as Salim, Fawad Khan as Hassan, Sanam Baloch as Bano and Mehreen Raheel as Rabia.
It created awareness in the audience about the culture of our past and history which is why it was widely appreciated and it also aired on Indian Channel, Zindagi. The drama has won several awards and is one of the highest-rated Pakistani tv series. It is rated 8.8 out of 10 on IMDB.
