Pakistani TV has always been fond of band­wagons. A new format is introduced, it becomes an all-out hit and everyone else has a Eureka moment and starts churning out similar content.

Some effort may be made towards innovation: a few new characters and situations and an engaging title track, perhaps. Then, all these ingredients are expertly whisked together and served in a concoction which is familiar, but maybe with a few more pinches of spice or a dash of salt.

This has been the case with our Ramazan drama phenomenon. Back in 2018, the Hum TV Network decided to air a laugh-a-minute, feel-good romantic comedy called Suno Chanda in Ramazan, and managed to rivet an extensive audience. Written by Saima Akram Chaudhry, directed by Aehsun Talish, with an impressive ensemble cast of actors headlined by Farhan Saeed and Iqra Aziz, the drama was a major hit. It was ideal entertainment for the long Ramazan evenings, when entire families would shake off their post-iftar stupor by sitting together and getting regaled by the madcap lives of the Suno Chanda family.

The drama ran for 30 days straight, all through Ramazan, and won plenty of awards and accolades. And ever since, Ramazan dramas have become integral parts of the Pakistani TV drama lexicon.

It was fine for a while. There were certain familiar linchpins that would be part of most storylines: a boy and a girl who initially hate each other and then fall in love, an annoying but somewhat cute younger brother or sister, a motley crew of cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents. A few new twists would be added to the basic blueprint; the main leads could be neighbours instead of cousins, a side-plot could be conceived revolving around a second lead pair, some distasteful family politics could be added in to counterbalance the deluge of feel-good humour.

The slapstick Ramazan rom-com drama had become hackneyed and predictable and was losing ratings. A new type of drama might just set the badwagonners on a new course…

By and large, though, the story remained the same. It worked every now and then. There were some really good Ramazan dramas that hauled in high ratings and jump-started the careers of promising young actors. Over time, though, the stories became hackneyed. It seemed that scriptwriters had run out of new ideas for family-friendly, comical stories that would stretch out to 30 whopping episodes.

Writer Saima Akram Chaudhry, associated with some of the best Ramazan dramas in Pakistani TV history, opted to take a break because she felt exhausted, and feared that she was getting repetitive. Similarly, Sarah Majeed, writer of Fairytale parts one and two, took time off so that she could come up with “a new story, new characters.”

One recalls how drama content in Ramazan last year was particularly mediocre, failing to grip the audience, with Fahad Mustafa, whirling about on a motorbike on Jeeto Pakistan League, the game show which airs around the same time on ARY Digital, stealing away most of the viewership ratings.

Director Danish Nawaz — after helming three Ramazan dramas, with the first two doing incredibly well and the third failing due to a repetitive story — backed out of the rat race. “The dramas had lost the element of surprise, because they had become so predictable,” he says. “Also, in a rush to somehow create funny situations, most scripts lacked logic. And the audience would notice this and stop watching.”

Aehsun Talish — a Ramazan drama ‘pioneer’ given his Suno Chanda association — observes, “Most [Ramazan] dramas have been relying entirely on slapstick. There is no subtlety, no proper development of the story, and this has led to a fall in viewership.”

Aehsun Talish — a Ramazan drama ‘pioneer’ given his Suno Chanda association — observes, “Most [Ramazan] dramas have been relying entirely on slapstick. There is no subtlety, no proper development of the story, and this has led to a fall in viewership.”

What Ramazan dramas needed was a complete paradigm shift and we may just be witnessing one this year.

Most Ramazan prime time TV this year is still offering a selection of feel-good lighthearted comedy — particularly through dramas Ishq Di Chashni and Aas Paas on the Geo Entertainment and Green Entertainment channels, respectively. The stories are sometimes engaging, often silly. Despite a few innovations here and there, you feel like you’re watching the usual Ramazan fare, simply packaged in shiny new gift wrapping.

And then, the TV remote pauses at a story that is distanced from the usual trappings. Dil Wali Gali Mein, directed by Kashif Nisar, written by Zafar Mairaj and airing on Hum TV, walks a path less trodden, offering a mix of dark humour, situational comedy and deep-rooted messages related to human relationships and love.

With Hamza Sohail and Sajal Aly as the main leads, the drama navigates its characters’ travails after they get married against their families’ wishes. Their dilemmas are sometimes funny, often thought-provoking and occasionally sad.

Also essential to the narrative is a colourful mix of characters: the tough mothers-in-law, struggling with their own egos and personal luggage, the toxic sister-in-law with her bitterness rooted in her own difficult experiences, the helpful brother-in-law, the progressive and supportive father, and so on. A brilliant ensemble cast adds value: Saqib Sameer, Uzma Hassan, Munazzah Arif, Saba Faisal, Ali Jan and Gul Mehar Bano, among others.

This isn’t your usual Ramazan drama at all. Kashif Nisar’s camera expertly traverses the crowded corridors of a neighbourhood school where Muji — our hero — and his family live. It then roams through the narrow alleys of Lahore, past rooftops sandwiched together and inside seedy hotels. There are no attempts at slapstick. Instead, you get familiar with the eccentricities of the various characters, and get entertained by the way they behave in different situations.

Mahesh Waswani, Production Head at the Hum TV Network, says, “Dil Wali Gali Mein was originally supposed to be a series that was going to air at some other point, but we decided that it would be a breath of fresh air in Ramazan. We felt that Ramazan dramas were falling into a rut and this drama was different, without the typical comedy format.”

Dil Wali Gali Mein has certainly introduced the notion of intelligent storytelling to the Ramazan drama landscape. But are viewers gravitating towards this new type of narrative? Based on the viewership on YouTube, the drama doesn’t seem to have done quite as well as was expected.

“We are happy with the response,” says Mahesh, “because we believe that quality content will always get appreciated. It isn’t a typical Ramazan romcom, which is perhaps why a certain kind of audience will be more interested in the narrative.”

In retrospect, perhaps Dil Wali Gali Mein may have made a bigger impact had it been released at some other time, as had been planned originally. The story could have been more concise, without the pressure of stretching it out to 30 episodes. Furthermore, the nuances within the script could have been appreciated more had one or two episodes aired every week, allowing viewers to absorb the plot-twists, reflect upon them and then wait a week to find out what happens next.

Nevertheless, a new premise has been set. The wagon has been nudged towards a new direction. Will a new bandwagon form? I guess we will have to wait till next Ramazan to find out.

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 23rd, 2025