aving grown up in the ’90s, I have gone through the long history of ground-breaking drama, theatre and music. All the stakeholders, from actors, directors and writers to the audience, saw an elevated performance and viewership in every realm, as the industry raised the bar with every breakthrough. It seemed to set ever higher standards with each new play and great role models for fresh talent. The crème de la crème of the industry brought out the best for the audiences.

The popularity and creative streak allowed us to export these offerings to more than 160 countries worldwide, in more than 45 languages.

Pakistan’s drama industry was always creative and forward-thinking with meaningful scripts, heart-rending performances, strong dialogues and unbeatable original soundtracks (OSTs). Despite simple costumes, plain outlook and understated makeup, the stories had a strong message. Solid performances by the likes of Bushra Ansari, Behroz Sabzwari, Marina Khan, Shehnaz Sheikh, Sania Saeed, Nauman Ijaz and Moin Akhtar and many more, brought to life the works of Haseena Moin and Anwar Maqsood.

Why do they not make those dramas any longer?

We don’t see those powerhouses of presentation in action now. I wonder if we will ever be able to experience again an era of great works flowing from great minds, as we did in our childhoods. Performances like those in Aansoo, Thori Khushi Thora Gham, Khamoshiyan, Mehndi, Dhun Hamari Tumharay Naam Hui, Loose Talk, Tanhaiyan, Aangan Terha, Fifty-Fifty, and Dhoop Kinarey continue to enthrall audiences. One wouldn’t expect any mediocrity. The writer and director always got to the heart of the story. There were few digressions.

Works of such extraordinary calibre are rare nowadays. What happened to our industry? What happened to the talent? What happened to the music?

One is forced to wonder if economics dictates most of what is being produced nowadays. What we see today in terms of stories, scripts and dialogues is said to be the “demand” of the audiences. Most of it falls in the broad genres of romance, drama, comedy, dramedy or love triangles.

But then it is the same Pakistani audience that had admired the works mentioned above. Why is it, then, that we see so much of the saas-bahu played out with mostly mediocre performances? Why is it that the writers are so fixated with run-of-the-mill scripts?

Pakistan’s drama industry has always been creative, and forward-thinking with meaningful scripts, heart-rending performances, strong dialogues and unbeatable OSTs. 

It seems that increased commercialisation has badly affected the industry norms, as writers are trying to write something that could make “good business” instead of cultivating positive ideas. Talking to The News on Sunday, Rasikh Ismail Khan, actor and entrepreneur says, “there were times during the PTV era when scripts were not allowed to incorporate vulgar scenes. Today we see women being slapped. We see men and women cheating in relationships. Every stakeholder, needs to realise the power of visual content. It always has an impact, and a powerful one at that. The media plays a crucial role in addressing stigmas and reshaping the society. Our responsibility is not limited to entertaining the audiences. We also need to raise awareness by educating the masses through story telling.”

Pakistani dramas have been known for relaying some epic depictions of reality. They were not some ordinary amalgam of fictional experiences strung together. They gave a true picture of the social (dis)order drawn from everyday lives. They emphasised storytelling rather than gaudy makeup, endless twists, grand mansions and ostentatious looks.

The dramas used to be short and sweet, no more than 20 episodes as the story progressed substantially, instead of dragging on. The story was brought to a close through a structured form, addressing the plot and the issues it raised. I am glad that that hasn’t changed. An indefinite number of episodes would risk leaving the audience bored.

Tragically, our entertainment industry in general and the drama industry in particular has fallen for clichéd themes, overarching toxic masculinity and patriarchal culture. The obsession with a villain-ish saas, a nosy nand, a supportive husband, and a victim bahu needs to end. Many of these stories lack originality. It is time to address the real issues that have existed in the society for long and to perpetuate positive change. The stereotypical prejudices and notions need to be challenged. Women’s property rights, divorce issues, parenting struggles, unemployment, child abuse and drug use need to be highlighted.

On the questions of OSTs, why do we not get good music now? Where are the likes of Rohail Hyatt, Shoaib Mansoor, Ali Azmat, Waqar Ali and Shafqat Amanat Ali who brought incredible music to us?

Omair Alavi, the entertainment journalist, says, “This has been the problem in any form of art in Pakistan. We do not train replacements. We seem not to have any training grounds to bring forth great talent. Most new talent is either family legacy or happened to land in the field accidentally. We need to build a community of sorts where independent artists can share their work, be it theatre, dance, poetry, screenings, documentaries or drama – where the audience can appreciate and the producers can tap new talent. New talent will eventually take charge of the industry as they move from short scripts to long plays and then feature films. This alone will raise the bar.”

Only a fraction of the new scripts deals with actual issues and are therefore worth watching. Instead of learning from our past, many of us are trying to push the envelope in unchartered directions. We need more content on current issues and topics that matter. The whole industry requires a shift.

Industry influencers must take the lead in a movement to stop socially irresponsible content. This is not impossible. We have done it in the past. We can do it now.

The writer is a freelance journalist based in Karachi