Adictatorial Saba Hameed in Noor Jahan shrewdly puppeteers the politics in her home.
Sakina Samo in Qarz-i-Jaan arches an imperious eyebrow while making regressive judgements.
A grey-haired Sania Saeed in Aap Ki Izzat compromises her ethics in order to maintain her stronghold over her errant son.
Hina Khawaja Bayat in Aik Aur Pakeezah puffs on a hookah while making caustic but wise observations. Arjumand Rahim in Sher struggles with spinsterhood and a past romance that has left her jaded. Savera Nadeem in Bismil confronts her philandering husband. A broken-hearted Nadia Afgan in Tann Mann Neelo Neel comes to terms with her husband’s years of reticence.
Tazeen Hussain in Qarz-i-Jaan plays the submissive daughter-in-law living a life of servitude ever since she was widowed. Marina Khan in Dr Bahu champions being a submissive daughter-in-law and lectures her newly married daughter to be one.
Once confined to predictable roles as saintly mothers or scheming mothers-in-law in television dramas, Pakistan’s veteran actresses are finally being given layered, emotionally complex characters, reflecting not only changing audience tastes but also the evolving realities of Pakistani women’s lives
Asma Abbas in Mann Jogi lies and manipulates in order to protect the reputation of her tempestuous son.
These are just a few examples of the recent roles played by relatively ‘older’ actresses in TV dramas, who have moved beyond being cookie-cutter characters in the background. They may be relegated to roles of mothers, mothers-in-law, grandmothers and aunts, but the very talented motley crew of Pakistan’s older generation of actresses is no longer simply there to propel the story of the drama’s younger leads and remain on the sidelines.
Interestingly, mature male actors have rarely faced the same creative limitations. Politicians, feudal lords, businessmen, judges and villains have long provided older men with substantial and layered roles.
Actors such as Humayun Saeed, Faisal Rehman, Faysal Quraishi and Adnan Siddiqui continue to headline dramas as romantic leads, frequently paired opposite actresses decades younger than themselves, despite being in their 50s. Their female contemporaries, however, have traditionally been expected to transition into mothers and mothers-in-law much earlier in their careers, often while the men continued to romance much younger heroines.
It is only recently that actresses of the same generation have begun receiving characters with comparable psychological depth.
MORE THAN JUST ONE-DIMENSIONAL MOTHERS
As a result, slowly but surely, an increasing number of dramas are giving these women journeys of their own, mapping out their lives in far greater detail than ever before.
Their baggage from the past — not to mention their regrets — is brought to the fore, as is the resilience that has shaped who they are and the impact they have on the lives of those around them.
If a woman is a nit-picking mother-in-law, there is a reason why she is the way she is. A subdued mother carries the weight of past traumas. A benign widow living on her own may have a murderous past. A mother will not always be a saint and a mother-in-law won’t always be the manipulative villain presiding over the breakfast table.
Age has ceased to be treated as a full stop in Pakistani dramas. And it’s about time, too! This change is particularly striking because, for decades, Pakistani dramas tended to divide women into two broad categories: the desirable young heroine and the self-sacrificing or villainous older woman. Once an actress crossed a certain age, she was almost usually then relegated to roles of a mother, mother-in-law or grandmother, even if she was in her 40s or 50s. At the same time, though, a large proportion of dramas still focus primarily on the younger actors.
Veteran actress Hina Khwaja Bayat observes, “It’s interesting that earlier, female actors still in their 30s would be cast in roles of women in their 50s. We would sometimes be playing mothers to actors who were just five to 10 years younger than us! Even now, the age issue remains, although roles have definitely become more interesting.
“For instance, I was lucky to play the character of Mummy Jee in Aik Aur Pakeezah, but she was a woman who was much older than me,” adds Bayat. “In Case Number 9, I played Saba Qamar’s mother. It was an interesting character that gave me a lot of margin to perform. As far as scripts are concerned, you do come across better, more fleshed-out characters for older age groups, although it is still fairly uncommon.”
Bayat also lauds actors for going the extra mile to flesh out banal roles. “I have also recently seen dramas where actresses have made the effort to add nuances to what would otherwise be regular mother and grandmother roles. You have to give credit to them for often adding meat to roles that would otherwise be forgettable.”
Similarly, Nadia Afgan says, “Earlier, we would mostly get offered stereotypical saas, nand [mother-in-law, sister-in-law] roles, but now there is real depth to a lot of the older characters.”
She provides concrete examples: “My roles in Aik Aur Pakeezah, Sharpasand and now, in Dar-i-Nijaat as Shadda Gujjri, all have layers, strengths and their own story arcs. There are some really impactful characters that we have been seeing in current dramas, such as Dr Farheen played by Saba Hameed in the recently concluded Dr Bahu and Sania Saeed in Aap Ki Izzat. Powerful, well-written characters!”
Arjumand Rahim shares her own insights. “In the 8pm prime time slot, better-etched characters are definitely being written for older women,” she says. “In my experience, Taj Bibi in Sher was quite pivotal to the main storyline, and even Nafisa in Meri Zindagi Hai Tu had a backstory, which had a direct impact on the personality and behaviour of the protagonist played by Bilal Abbas Khan. There are so many other examples: Saba Hameed in Noor Jahan and Dr Bahu, Saima Noor in Main Manto Nahin Hoon, and so on.”
She points out, “It’s sad, though, that we are not seeing the same kind of attention being given to character arcs in the 7pm and 9pm slots in longer serials. There, the formula continues to be simplistic and predictable, with black-and-white, wishy-washy stereotypical characters. I would put it down to lazy writing.”
WHY NOW?
What has brought about this much-needed shift, though?
One very obvious reason is that the audience is evolving, constantly exposed to global content via cinemas and streaming platforms, and is more inclined to watch a well-written, nuanced story rather than a cartoonish, slipshod domestic drama.
Increasingly, dramas with storylines that centre on ensemble casts are airing in primetime slots and becoming huge successes. A romantic couple may be pivotal to the plot, but equal importance will also be given to the character arcs of other generations in the storyline.
The audience has responded enthusiastically. Time and again, one sees clips going ‘viral’ on social media, not of the beautiful lead actress, but of the grandmother making a wise remark, a mother putting her errant husband in place, or an aunt delivering a well-timed one-liner! This demonstrates that compelling writing and well-etched-out characters — not just youth — capture viewers’ attention.
And let’s not forget that the present-day Pakistani woman has also changed. There are women in their 50s who work, travel alone and have aspects to their personalities that extend well beyond the confines of the kitchen and their in-laws.
Now, more and more stories — at least the good ones — are addressing these changing dynamics.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCE
The industry’s demographics too have also evolved. A generation of actresses who entered television during the 1980s and 1990s has accumulated decades of experience and developed devoted fan followings.
Writers now have a wealth of accomplished performers capable of carrying emotionally demanding storylines, making it increasingly difficult to justify reducing them to decorative or one-dimensional roles.
Of course, there is also the fact that Pakistan’s TV drama fraternity boasts a heavy-duty line-up of immensely talented actors and actresses who may be well over 40, but have the magnetism and talent to keep the audience hooked. Such powerhouses add value to a drama and it is the producers’ loss if they let such talent go to waste with unidimensional cardboard roles.
Veteran actress Atiqa Odho elaborates on how storylines are changing. “Unlike in the recent past, current storylines are now giving all actors a margin to perform, as every character tends to have an important part to play,” she says.
“Some very interesting scripts come my way, with multiple choices offered to me, and over the past decade I have performed all sorts of characters in title roles, as well as major supporting roles. Once you grow out of lead roles, more mature and challenging roles are now being offered to experienced artists.”
The shift has also benefitted the dramas themselves. Strong ensemble casts, where every generation has a meaningful role to play, create richer narratives and greater emotional stakes. Rather than relying solely on the chemistry between the lead couple, viewers become invested in an entire family and the plot twists that shape its members.
In a similar vein, Nadia Afgan says, “It’s not just about being the mother or the elder anymore. The new dramas that are coming out are also being written by a promising crop of writers who come up with roles that have substance. This makes me very hopeful about where TV dramas are headed.”
Perhaps the biggest change is that today’s older women of TV dramas are, to a certain extent, no longer simply ‘good’ or ‘evil’. The domineering mother-in-law is allowed moments of vulnerability. The seemingly saintly mother can be selfish or manipulative. Even the antagonist is often driven by loneliness, grief, insecurity or regret rather than cartoonish malice. It makes for far more engaging television because audiences understand the character, even when they don’t agree with her.
PROGRESS, BUT WE’RE NOT QUITE THERE YET
Having said this, the desi TV drama still has a long way to go in terms of stories with older female characters playing meaty roles.
Veteran actress Bushra Ansari points out that, while one interesting drama might surface now and then — she, too, gives the example of Saba Hameed’s recent work — most roles are monotonous and don’t excite her anymore.
“An elderly woman in a Pakistani drama is usually crooked,” she says. “She is commanding and mean, and if it’s a supposedly ‘different’ role, this means that she’s probably being battered emotionally by the people around her.
“Most stories revolve around the young people in a drama. This is not something bad. We have some very good young actors and the audience is eager to see them, but the more mature actresses should also be offered better roles. If you work in 10 dramas, maybe one of them will end up being more interesting, but that’s about it.”
This is a valid point. While the occasional well-written script may feature a matriarch with shades and emotional arcs, dramas are yet to veer towards stories that venture off the beaten path, moving beyond the domestic landscape to perhaps the workplace. There are barely any stories revolving around female politicians or businesswomen, or long-lasting female friendships or finding love once again after hitting the big 5-0.
They do, for the most part, remain mothers, mothers-in-law and grandmothers first, individuals second. Their conflicts revolve around marriage, inheritance or family honour, while careers, friendships, politics, entrepreneurship and personal reinvention remain largely unexplored.
The encouraging news is that the audience has already demonstrated an appetite for richer storytelling. Whenever an older female character is written with intelligence, humour and emotional complexity, viewers embrace her wholeheartedly (Baby Baji, anyone?). The challenge now is for writers and producers to trust these characters enough to place them at the centre of the narrative rather than at its edges.
Let’s not lose hope, though. Pakistani drama writers and producers have awakened to the potential of nuanced roles for older actresses. Perhaps, soon, they will also move away from the domestic comfort zone towards more experimental storytelling.
The writer is a fashion and entertainment journalist with over two decades of experience.
She can be reached at maliharehman1@gmail.com
Published in Dawn, ICON, August 9th, 2026