Quite often we hear that victimizing women onscreen leads to high ratings for a drama serial airing on local television.
Instep lists down four TV plays that are among the top 10 names in the rating chart.
Quite often we hear that victimizing women onscreen leads to high ratings for a drama serial airing on local television. While we may not want to believe it, it seems to be the sole criteria in order to generate high numbers on the ratings chart. And this becomes clearer if we look at the list of top 10 TV plays compiled by Medialogic Pakistan every month. Plays that have received the highest ratings in March beat some remarkable productions such as Khuda Mera Bhi Hai (that talks about society’s discriminatory attitude towards transgender community) and Khan (a political thriller presenting the dark side of life of a politician).
Choti Si Zindagi
Shehzad Sheikh and Iqra Aziz-starrer Choti Si Zindagi topped the list in March, like February. The play highlights the struggle of a married couple Urwa (Shehzad Sheikh) and Ameena (Iqra Aziz) who are forced to marry each other while they were too young to know what they wanted in life. Urwa was never interested in Ameena since he wanted to marry his college sweetheart Azra (played by Nimra Khan), whom he’s having an affair with even after many years of marriage.
In the latest episode of Choti Si Zindagi, in which the play skipped decades and the children have grown up, we see Ameena taking care of the entire household as well as her children while Urwa’s only concern is talking to and meeting Azra. Will Urwa ever be able to value Ameena’s contribution to his success? The next few episodes will tell.
Khali Haath
Khali Haath is also among the list of top 10 TV plays that generated the highest numbers last month. Featuring Aiman Khan, Ali Abbas and Kiran Haq, the play highlights the sensitivity of relationship between a brother-in-law and his sister-in-law. It tells the story of Basil (played by Abbas) who agrees to marry Sobia (Kiran Haq) but falls in love with her younger sister Mashal (Aiman Khan) when he sees her for the first time at the engagement ceremony.
Basil marries Sobia just so he can be close to Mashal. He frequently visits his in-laws with the desire to meet and talk to Mashal, who then gets engaged to their cousin, Haisam (Shehzad Sheikh). Basil obviously doesn’t like this bond and starts creating problems for his wife Sobia who has now started realizing what’s going on.
Will Basil be able to break Mashal’s relationship with Haisam or will he realize his mistake and turn to Sobia?
Wo Aik Pal
Starring Feroze Khan, Ayesha Khan and Ramsha Khan (who made her big screen debut with Thora Jee Le), new drama Wo Aik Pal also made it to the list of top TV plays last month. Featuring Aarish (played by Feroze Khan) and Hina (played by Ramsha Khan) as a young couple in love, the play revolves around the themes of love, regret and revenge. It is written by Samira Fazal and directed by Furqan Khan.
Aarish is a very shy and sensitive guy who’s always concerned about his studies which annoys his girlfriend Hina, who’s the dominant one between the two – they keep arguing over one thing or the other. An incident occurs one night and Aarish ends up becoming the cause of someone’s death. When he learns that the person had a wife and a kid, he feels extremely guilty and tries to compensate the loss in whatever way he can. Aarish visits the widow, Unaiza (played by Ayesha Khan) with his girlfriend to console her and offer help.
How will Unaiza react when she learns Aarish is responsible for her husband’s murder, we need to wait and watch.
Rasm-e-Duniya
Rasm-e-Duniya stars Armeena Khan of Bin Roye and Janaan fame in the lead role alongside Sami Khan and Bilal Abbas (who made his big screen debut with Thora Jee Le). She is in love with Abbas but agrees to marry his elder step brother Sami on her parents’ wish since Abbas backs out for some reason. Abbas’s mother, played by Samina Peerzada, fixes Armeena’s marriage with Sami (who is madly in love with her) despite knowing that Abbas and Armeena are in love with each other. She didn’t want the world to say that she chose her own son over her step son and ends up destroying three lives in the process.
Though Sami loves Armeena, he’s very intense and rash with his ways and treats her mercilessly. Armeena never shares this with anyone. However her mother-in-law starts taking note of her son’s behaviour. Will she take a stand for Armeena or let her suffer to save her son, we’ll find out in the coming episodes.
