Tabdeeli is definitely in the air, especially in the case of the Pakistani drama industry that’s steadily inching towards a broadened horizon of creativity. The done-to-death formula of an evil saasu maa making life miserable for her good-hearted bahu is rapidly becoming a (flop) thing of the past, and we are seeing some excellent female-led stories playing on our screens.
SURKH CHANDNI
Amongst those, the first to catch our attention (and make our hearts lurch) is Surkh Chandni: a tale of a young, ambitious girl who is subjected to acid attack, and the plight she faces whilst trying to put her life back together. Starring Sohai Ali Abro (who plays the lead role) opposite Osman Khalid Butt (her fiercely loyal love interest) and Asad Siddiqui (antagonist), Surkh Chandni sheds light on the struggle of an acid attack victim, as the protagonist’s life comes crashing down. Crushed under the burden of financial instability, emotional distress, and physical agony, Sohai depicts an accurate picture of the bone-chilling anguish that follows the attack. Will Sohai ever get over her traumatic experience and bring the criminal to justice? Or would her suffering push her over the brink of insanity? Keep watching to find out.
ISHQ ZAHE NASEEB
Ishq Zahe Naseeb sheds light on the life and plight of Sameer (Zahid Ahmed) – as he suffers from Split Personality Disorder. Along with him, there is Sonya Hussain (as Gauhar) and Sami Khan (as Kashif) as lead roles in the show. Initially introduced as two separate stories, the show introduces Gauhar and Kashif as lovers who want to get married but face opposition in the face of Jehangir (Khalid Malik) who uses family debt as a way of pressurising Gauhar into marrying him. On the other hand, there is Sameer (Zahid Ahmed) whose childhood sufferings have led him to develop some serious mental disorders. Eager to know what stands in the path of Gauhar and Kashif, and will Sameer ever be able to get over his dark side? Stay tuned for this one-of-its-kind show.
KHAAS
Starring Sanam Baloch and Ali Rehman Khan as its lead characters, Khaas is another show that caught our attention for portraying an angle different than the regular Saas VS Bahu clashes. The plot of this show revolves around Saba Faraz (Sanam Baloch) who is a modern-age woman and knows that there is more to life than simply marriage. She wants to focus on her career after completing her post-graduate degree, but owing to Ammar’s relentless pursue of her, she falls for his false charms. Not knowing the true nature of his narcissistic self, Saba ultimately marries him and thus begins the unraveling of Ammar’s true narcissistic personality. The shows also stars Haroon Shahid, Behroze Sabzwari and Lubna Aslam as its supporting cast.
