Reminiscing the Glorious Era of ‘Urdu’ Drama

Remember that time when the world was less complicated and you would huddle around with your Daadi, Daada, Taya, Tayi, Chahu, Chachi, Ammi, Abba, Appa, Bhaiya and not to forget Bobby and Pappu (your neighbors, of course) from down the street, and ogle at that fascinating box that sat comfortably in your living room, that demanded attention and rightly deserved that special corner toward which all your furniture faced, a box that blared black and white news and dramas with the frequent ‘Intazaar Farmaiye’ flashing on the screen in between all the entertainment, and PTV was the talk of the town?

Of course you don’t remember. We opened our eyes to a television with a screen as flat as a pancake, to vibrant colors that brightened up that small screen, to hundreds of channels between which we switched tirelessly, evaluating the opportunity cost of watching one and not the other.

Before that was the golden era of the Urdu dramas, when Pakistani dramas were the envy of our neighbouring country, when the content of our dramas was rich and the dialogues were free from what we have termed the ‘language’ we have our conversations in now- the notorious Minglish! This Minglish has seeped into our contemporary dramas and I just can’t help but feel for Urdu. Whatever happened to ‘khalis Urdu’?

Aangan Tehra aired in the late 1980s and was one such acclaimed Urdu comedy drama written by one of the most celebrated writers of Pakistan, Anwar Maqsood; a drama that needs to be lauded for it deserves every bit of praise. Those unfortunate souls who haven’t seen this drama, I feel for them too. The drama revolves around a retired civil servant, Mehboob Ahmed (Shakeel), his wife, Jehan Ara Begum (Bushra Ansari), their servant, Akbar (the late Salim Nasir) who was previously a classical dancer, and their neighbor, Chaudry Sahib and his sister. With flair of satire, it addresses many social issues, indirectly disparaging the martial law and the electoral system. The focal point in this drama is Salim Nasir’s unforgettable, genius acting which is sure to give you some hearty laughs.

So you are a fan of Grey’s Anatomy? Well, Marina Khan and Rahat Kazmi have been there, done that, and in just thirteen episodes of a super hit drama, Dhoop Kinaray, written by Haseena Moin and directed by Rahat Kazmi’s wife, Sahira Kazmi. Dr. Zoya Khan (Marina Khan) is a cheerful and a little clumsy intern who falls for this tall, dark and handsome doctor, Ahmer Ansari (Rahat Kazmi) who finds Zoya immature and irresponsible and thus treats her strictly so that she learns from her mistakes. Opposites attract and clash, don’t they? You will find yourself laughing and crying with the characters of Dhoop Kinaray. The supporting characters with their unique personalities, add to the hilarity and the seriousness of this drama. Also, the way all the actors deliver Urdu dialogues is simply charming (surprise surprise, Urdu can have charm too!). And yes, once upon a time, Urdu had a proper accent.

Tanhaiyan, another highly popular Urdu drama that aired in 1985 is written by Haseena Moin. It is about two sisters Zara (Shehnaz Sheikh) and Sanya (Marina Khan) who, after their parents’ death, are taken in by their aunt, Aani (Badar Khalil). Zara and Sanya struggle to adjust both in their own way and try to always remember the good things in life. Tanhaiyan is a heartwarming story of family, friendship, love, hardship and loss. Haseena Moin’s dramas always have at least one supporting character with a funny bone and in this case, it’s the landlord’s secretary, Qabacha (Behroz Sabzwari) who finds himself a victim of Saniya’s pranks but ends up falling for her.

An-kahi, Uncle Urfi, Waris, Rozi (the phenomenal Moin Akhtar plays a woman!), Alif Noon, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Dhuwan, Ansoo, are a few other big names in our drama industry, which starred actors who stunned us with their masterful acting abilities and who could’ve won an Emmy anytime of the day. The incredible characters that our brilliant writers engendered will always hold a soft corner in our hearts.

Today, I realize that my parents made a fine decision by not falling prey to the villainous cable so that we wouldn’t too, (well, it’s a different story now) and that I grew up watching these PTV dramas. No doubt a few of the current dramas on channels like Hum TV etc are worth watching and obsessing over, but even today, these remarkable ‘Urdu’ dramas that gained international success remind us that they are our legacy and we should be proud that they are. The least we can do is watch them.