The ones that did make it to the Top 10 have these things in common: repeat value, iconic characters, a coherent story from start to finish and a strong director. Firstly, a drama has to be incredibly well written: any repetitious dialogues, inconsistent characterisations, or lazy reliance on stereotypes or clichés would be an immediate disqualification.

Just being popular or “hit of the season” will not get your favourite drama on it. Read on: Is Zindagi TV considering a ban on Pakistani dramas? Unfortunately, political rhetoric seems to have reduced the torch of cross border friendship and goodwill to the kind of flickering diya Paro carried around for Devdas, so maybe it’s time to remind everyone why the diya was lit in the first place. It was these same dramas that introduced not just India but anyone on the globe (who understands even a little Urdu) to our most famous exports Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan. So it made perfect business sense for Indian broadcasting giant Zee TV to take advantage of such a commercial opportunity and dedicate a channel called Zee Zindagi to their transmission.

A sizable section of the Indian public and the worldwide subcontinental diaspora now make up a hitherto unheard of international audience. No, we don’t mean the daytime soaps that are full of saas/bahu sazishes (mother-in-law/daughter-in-law scheming) but the prime-time offerings of our major channels.Įver increasing internet access and the spread of social media have put any show just a click away. Pakistani dramas have made colossal strides over the last decade, raising the bar for quality writing, innovation and realism. This piece was originally published on 9 July, 2017.

Kahani drama last episode