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TUBE TIME: Serials up, substance down
Watching the last episode of Thori Khushi, Thora Ghum reinforced the feelings of exasperation that poor viewers have been going through as they try to stomach one unpromising serial after another presented by the home channels.
Like all last episodes, which never end without some long-delayed wedding, patch up between bloodthirsty enemies and the death of some important character, TKTG too, was brought to a conclusion with a wedding and some demises, along with other things, which were unnecessarily deferred in the previous episodes. Although penned by a veteran writer, Abdul Kadir Junejo and produced and directed by Zulfikar Sheikh who is the man behind Aansoo and Des perdes, the serial turned out to be a damp squib and thwarted the hopes which were pinned to it after one had watched its much hyped launch show. It seemed as if Zulfi had schemed to use the last episode to focus entirely on his wife Tasmina (who played the role of an investigation officer) as she strived single-handedly leaving the whole police department behind, to bring to justice Shamsheer, played by Talat Hussain. His role of a sophisticated gangster failed to excite the viewers, as it was much too similar, from beginning to end, to Aali Jah, the role he played in Khushkol.
Even if we spare TKTG and refrain from going into further detail, we cannot ignore a host of other serials which regrettably evoke similar feelings. No matter how many new dramas make their entry on the small screen every quarter, in the end the poor viewers are left with just one question, and that is for how long will they be bombarded with dramas that lack substance, a strong storyline and quality acting. The formula of instant drama making which totally relies on loud dialogue delivery, run of the mill themes, glamorous faces and beautiful homes is not the answer. Currently, there are a number of serials being aired from PTV and Channel Three which clearly point out the fact that the standard of our dramas which was at its zenith a decade ago has now come down to the sheer disappointment level of viewers in and outside Pakistan. This drop in the popularity has not come about overnight, but was kicked off with the emergence of private productions. Initially, people welcomed private productions as they offered dramas which were shot at live locations with new faces and better production quality. When good dramas like Chand Girhan and Nangay Paoon managed to steal the show they set an example for the newcomers, but the succeeding plays could not sustain the quality and thus mediocre stuff was what the viewers got to watch. All through these years innumerable dramas have been churned out, but when one sits to compare them with the dramas of yester-year, one can’t help but give preference to the former. The reasons one still waits to catch glimpses of Unkahi, Dhoop Kinaray and Tapish are far more than those which fail to make one sit through the dramas like Karwat and Chasmaan — again beautiful faces and beautiful locations, but without a good story.
Even if one ignores the above mentioned stuff, the other thing which proves to be equally irksome is the unprofessional treatment of the story. Unnecessarily long shots stretched like sticky chewing gum, the slow pace of the story which does not seem to develop in the first five episodes and the repetition of dialogue where actors drag on the same thing for minutes kill the crispness of the story.
Some dramas, however, deserve to be appreciated for their effort to spread awareness regarding social issues. Ghuttan , highlights the issue of karo kari and injustices carried out against women in urban areas, though its theme overlaps with the story of Jannat, which too focuses on the deplorable custom of giving away daughters in exchange of wealth along with other related practices. One doesn’t feel overexposed to glamour and the unrealistic handling of the story, (except at some instances) which saves these from being categorized with other shoddy productions
One of the reasons thought to have perpetuated the decline in the quality is the launching of private channels, which is nevertheless a welcome change. But the more chances they provide to the drama makers, the more they fall short of providing quality output. When only PTV ruled the small screen the viewers got to see only the best of the lot. Now, when its monopoly has been fragmented, the second best and all the rest have found outlets to reach to the public. So now here we are flooded with all types of dramas, one with pure filmi treatment, (watch Landa Bazaar, one with pretty faces (watch Behlawa, one with beautiful American locations (watch Pehla Pyaar, one oozing with emotions (watch Meray Apne Meray Sapne). And one with a good story and powerful script and commendable acting — I wish I could suggest at least one.
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