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15 Reasons Why Pakistani TV Serials Are Better Than Indian Ones
Once upon a time, the Indian TV industry was ruled by a certain Miss Kapoor who was hell bent on ensuring that our televisions retain their title of Idiot Box in the true sense of the word. And then she moved to the big screen albeit with the same motto though. Yet the benchmark set by her still rules Indian TV serials. And while our serials were too busy maintaining their quota of saas-bahu saagas (Balika Vadhu, you really tried hard, but Sasural Simar Ka, Shastri Sisters, Saraswatichandra?), a single Pakistani TV channel broke into our living rooms and totally challenged our notions of, well, a TV serial!
If you've ever managed to catch a glimpse of the Zindagi channel, you'll know what we're talking about. Their TV serials (Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Kitni Girhain Baki Hain, Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti, and more) are definitely a breath of fresh air compared to the regressive Indian tales we keep showing on our channels. So much so that some of their shows had to be repeated on the channel on popular demand. Here are 15 reasons why Pakistani TV serials are better than Indian ones. And if you find it offensive, deal with it, because that's reality! And there's certainly a lot to learn from it.
1. They have a start and then they have a definite end. Yes!
Surprised? We were too! Because being an Indian audience, we're used to being served TV series which go on for years and years, and some more years! In fact that's one huge benchmark of measuring a show's success in India. Guess the Pakistani TV industry just shook our entire bench! All their shows are bound by a tight, meaningful script, which ends within a few weeks or 1-2 months. And within that span of time they manage to show the entire series beautifully, with (again!) a definite end.
2. They are based on social issues. Not saas-bahu fights.
Agreed, when Colors channel started initially they tried to bring in a fresh wave. But few years down the line, it's all the same. Remember the TV serial Baani? It was supposed to be based on fake NRI marriages in Punjab. Turns out it became yet another saas-bahu tale! Alternatively, Pakistani series deal with real social issues, even as sensitive as the issue of a surrogate mother (Kaash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti) or of crossdressers (Yes! One of the episodes in Kitni Girhain actually had a story based on this).
3. They don't have a makeup overload covering 90% of the screen.
Because they have actors depicting the characters they play, not their huge bindis, pitch black eye shadow, or their Kanjivaram sarees. The get up, dressing, makeup, everything is super simple and real in their serials, which just makes it so much more believable. And let's admit it, easy on the eye.
4. And their actors don't wake up in make up either.
Exactly! It's funny how the actors in our serials are in full (and loud) makeup even if the scene shows them sleeping or getting up while still in their beds. We're sure there's Shehnaz Husain somewhere sulking in a corner. And the courtesy stretches to even jewelry, including the mangalsutra and bindi. Good thing it doesn't happen in Pakistani serials.
5. Their pool of actors are simply better at their art. Over reacting and neck jerks are just not their thing.
Okay, hate us all you want, but their TV actors are just so much better than ours! But maybe that's got something to do with the complex and layered characters that they get to play on screen. Alternatively, women in our TV serials are busy filling oceans with tears, or better, spoiling the bahu's daal by adding extra chillies or garam masala in it! Hardly requires any acting talent now, does it!
6. Their weddings or festivals don't stretch over for months and months.
Oh, this is my personal favourite grudge against Indian TV serials. They are never ending to begin with. But even a wedding or festival being celebrated on screen is bloody endless! I wouldn't be surprised if an on screen pregnancy has lasted for about a year on some Indian TV soap. While a wedding or a festival in a Pakistani soap would take hardly 10-15 minutes screen time. Yes, they made it possible!
7. They don't have their movies' songs playing in the background half of the air time.
See, this is the thing with Indian TV soaps. You have to fill the air time? Simple. Just play an entire Bollywood movie's song in the background and have the lead actress cry to it, dance to it, or do anything for that matter. And this practice is, well, rampant in Indian TV serials. While Pakistani soaps never adopt this policy. Maybe that's how they get to end their freaking shows on time!
8. They are way more realistic and believable.
Pakistani TV soaps deal with real people problems in a very simple yet realistic manner. They don't have people owning 500 crore business empire by the day and on the street by the night! To put it simply, their characters behave just like real, normal persons would behave in everyday life situations, making it much more believable.
9. They sleep in nightwear!
Oh yeah! Since they actually put in effort to make their shows believable, their characters sleep in actual nightwear. Now that's a totally new concept for us Indian viewers. While we all sleep in our nightwear in our daily lives, we're used to seeing Indian TV actresses sleeping with their sarees, suits (complete with dupatta), and full jewelry on. Saves up on the shooting time, you see. Now, are we an understanding bunch as an audience or what!
10. They don't have a single case of plastic surgery or coming back from the dead!
We have no idea how the hell Mihir would have survived in a Pakistani TV serial. The dude's got like ten rebirths and seven plastic surgeries! And even after years, Sausral Simar Ka is continuing with the legendary trend. While Pakistani TV serials are just not into this whole plastic surgery or back from the dead business.
11. They actually have damn good title tracks.
No kidding! So much so that their title tracks have got their own proper videos shot (Remember Yeh Shadi Nahi Ho Sakti?), and the channel plays them as fillers in between two shows, complete with the singer, music and lyrics credit. And we're no connoisseurs here, but their title tracks have got some damn nice singers lending their voice to them. While Smriti Irani's infamous hand gesture is all we remember when it comes to Indian soaps' title tracks. Yeah, true story!
12. They don't need dramatic 'dhum ta na na' background to depict every emotion.
Actually, that's precisely the reason why their shows are less towards the tangent of high octane drama and more towards realism. Their characters' acting skills are enough to put any emotion across on screen. In fact, their TV soaps seldom use background music. Or it's used subtly. There. Subtle. That's one word our India TV soaps just don't play by.
13. Surprisingly, they don't revolve around religion.
Okay, we've had quite a few TV shows in the country revolving around Muslim households. Remember Qubool Hai or Beintehaan? Well, surprisingly Pakistani TV soaps don't revolve around the stereotypical 'Mashallahs' , 'Wallahs', or qawwalis for that matter. Neither are they a discourse on Muslim culture. They play by their content and that's what rules the screen. While in our Indian TV soaps we have to celebrate each and every festival (in detail) or show a gigantic puja or temple scene every few episodes.
14.Neither do they exhibit stereotypical fancy and flowery language.
Like I said before, even the language and dialogues used in Pakistani TV soaps seem totally simple and legit. And neither do they ever go overboard with the flowery Urdu language. While some random Baa or Motabhai in our India TV serials would go 'Jai Ambe' every few seconds, or some random Punjabi Bebe would 'hayye rabba' in every second scene!
15. And the best thing about them, surprisingly, is their focus on women's liberation in the true sense.
Which as a matter of fact is the most refreshing appreciable thing about Pakistani TV serials. While we always consider ourselves a way more progressive society than theirs, our TV soaps don't seem to reflect it. But the Pakistani serials have totally nailed the art of depicting women's liberation on screen. Be it Kashaf from Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Zara from Aunn Zara, or Maham from Mere Qatil Mere Dildaar, or other such characters, they have depicted women's liberation and independence in Pakistani society in the true sense of the word
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