Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: March 27, 2024 | 
| 中文
Dananeer Mobeen and Ameer Gillani in Very Filmy
Ramzan dramas are an annual tradition at this point. Every year, production houses release Ramzan special serials that air every single day, with the final episode coming out on the first day of Eid. Thus, it begs the question, what makes these shows different from normal dramas? To start off, light-hearted comedy, joint family dynamics and a sweet romance are the primary traits of the so-called Ramzan Specials. The pioneer of the trend was Suno Chanda that was aired on Hum television channel, in the Ramzan of 2018. The unprecedented success of the show prompted television channels to create similar dramas of their own. However, the rushed attempts at copying the original are pitiable at best. Let's explore the Ramzan dramas of 2024 to see if they have anything substantial to offer.
To say that none of the Ramzan dramas are worth watching would be an understatement. The main serials include two HUM television dramas, namely Very Filmy and Dil Pe Dastak; as well as three GEO television dramas, called Ishqaway, Tere Mere Sapnay and Umme Ayesha. For the purpose of this article, I went through the agonizing process of watching each of these deplorable shows. While some dramas have a silver lining, others are straight-up painful to watch. The legacy of Ramzan shows has plummeted significantly, as evidenced by the production of this year's shows. Here is a ranking of Ramzan dramas from worst to best:
Airing on GEO Entertainment at 7 pm everyday, Ishqaway has to be the worst of the lot. Over-the-top acting and bland comedy are the defining features of this cringe fest. While the drama boasts talented actors like Behroz Sabazwari, Maria Wasti and Agha Ali, it still fails on every count. The director has made a blatantly ridiculous effort to create humour through exaggerated caricatures. For instance, putting a fake moustache on one of the characters, and turning the other into a literal clown. Instead of getting laughs out of the audience, these grotesque stunts make them roll their eyes. The plot also happens to be as mindless as can be, with the heroine falling into the typical stereotype of an oppressed but an outspoken young girl. There are simply no redeeming qualities to this dumpster-fire of a drama. In fact, watching one episode after another felt like torture of sorts. I would like to end my review with a question for the producers: Why was Ishqaway made?
Mehmood Aslam and Agha Ali in Ishqway
It is GEO's "main" Ramzan drama that airs at 9 pm every night. Sabeena Farooq and Shahzad Sheikh are the lead actors of the show. Right off the bat, the narrator bombards the audience with an extremely heavy-handed spoken introduction of the giant web of characters. However, the actual pain point of the show starts after the senseless introduction. Each character turns out to be worse than the previous one, with highly overdone expressions and obnoxiously loud monologues. The storyline is bizarre to say the least, and is characterized by events that have zero probability of happening in real life. What's more, the interaction between the hero and the heroine is incredibly jaded; it feels like a cheap imitation of the usual Tom-and-Jerry trope that has been done to death already. The feeble attempts at comedy are, ironically enough, laughable. All that said, Shahzad Sheikh is the only saving grace of this sorry excuse of a Ramzan drama. He fits the character perfectly, and makes the scenes almost watchable. Other than that, the show gets zero points from my side.
Shehzad Sheikh and Sabeena Farooq in Teray Mere Sapney
This is HUM television's 7 p.m. drama, starring Aena Khan from last year's blockbuster Fairytale. Suffice to say that Fairytale's success has failed to trickle down to this show. Essentially, it is the story of two families living as neighbours. As you can probably predict, the heroine belongs to one family, the hero to the other. They have a bittersweet dynamic that keeps fluctuating from friends to enemies. While it isn't absolutely impossible to consume, it isn't the brightest star in the universe either. It is nothing but a regurgitation of previous Ramzan shows with no originality whatsoever. The humorous bits could be genuinely funny with a little bit of skilful tweaking, but alas, they fall completely flat. There isn't much for me to say about it, as the narrative is pretty plain and boring.
Khaqan Shahnawaz and Aena Khan in Dil Pe Dastak
Umme Ayesha is different from the rest, in the sense that it mainly focuses on religious messaging. Regardless of the execution, the idea in itself is commendable. Ramzan is a sacred month filled with blessings. Loud shows bursting with glamour, music and comedy don't quite capture the essence of this blessed time of the year. In this regard, Umme Ayesha is setting an admirable example. The main character basically acts as a spokesperson for religious commentary in the drama. Despite the obvious preachiness, the show still teaches a lot of valuable lessons. It is a particularly good watch for youngsters who are looking for decent entertainment. One thing that stands out in the show is the solid referencing. Every time an Islamic teaching is brought up, the specific Hadith or Ayah is cited. The plot is a bit loose, and the characters are one-dimensional but the effort is still to be appreciated.
Omar Shehzad and Nimra Khan in Umme Ayesha
HUM television’s main Ramzan show has to get the title of the "best" drama. However, I say that lightly, since the bar is exceptionally low this year. Written by Mohammed Ahmed and starring Dananeer Mobeen in and Bushra Ansari, Very Filmy appears to be slightly better than the other dramas on the list. The first selling point is the diversity of locations. Part of the show is set in Baku, Azerbaijan. This provides a much needed scenic reprieve from the same old boring shooting locations in Pakistan. Furthermore, the lead pair has great on-screen chemistry, translating to an engaging potential romance. Bushra Ansari is undoubtedly a comic legend, whose mere presence makes the screen light up. The cast of characters is also pretty dynamic, with interesting personalities and good back stories. Nevertheless, the show suffers from a dearth of comedy and relatability. The allusions to famous Bollywood movies is also a bit over dramatic, and has been criticised by netizens. On the whole, it makes for a good light-hearted watch after Iftar, if you have nothing better to do.
Deepak Parwani, Dananeer Mobeen and Bushra Ansari in Very Filmy
Ramzan dramas have been consistently losing their original charm with every passing year. One reason behind it is the overdose of content. Channels seem to be focused on pumping out as much mindless content as possible, often compromising on the quality of the shows in the process. In my opinion, there should only be one major Ramzan show that actually has substance to it. A quality script, on-point comedy, balanced performances and moral messaging, should be the standard for a Ramzan special show.
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