5 New Dramas On Our Watchlist That Are Thankfully Breaking The Mould!
If you’re tired of watching the same old, you don’t have to you know. Because the new drama season has a few new stories that will make you sit up, exhale, sigh of relief and say – YES! finally, I can!
2023 is not just a new year. It’s a new year with a dramatic difference! The drama season might hand out sensational saas, bahu, love marriage vs arranged marriage, extra marital affairs, dysfunctional male heroes and all, but this year, it’s doing something much more. Perhaps the recent Pakistani cinema success is rubbing off, perhaps drama makers have finally decided to throw themselves a challenge, perhaps they’ve decided to break the mould, perhaps they too, want to tell stories that have not been told before, but that are very much around us.
Well, all we can say is, thank you. And we give you 5 promising new dramas that have hit our screens recently and, we feel you might just catch on to at least one of them. So here goes!
1. Hum Dono
The drama stars Ahsan Khan & Hira Mani – a happily married young couple living in a dream location. Mahi and Umar are very much in love, Mahi tending to her plants and thriving in calm, serene surroundings while Umar is the perfect companion to his loving wife and apparently owns and manages a local restaurant.
But all will be turned upside down very soon in their super calming story line. There is also, a hint of a mystery lurking in patchy flashbacks from Mahi’s past and the actors hint at satire, romantic comedy and more. More importantly, the narrative aims to change gender perceptions and roles. Without disclosing the story, we recommend you watch and decide for yourself.
Hum Dono is a mini-series airing on Express TV and is directed by Aabis Raza. It is written by Nimra Jamil & Warisha Fatima
2. Sar e Rah
This Saba Qamar surprise in the first episode also stars Muneeb Butt, Hareem Farooq, Sunita Marshall and Saboor Aly. The first episode dropped on Feb 4th and fans couldn’t get enough of this refreshing story line. The drama plays it subtle, hands out multiple messages, makes you think, really think, is super fast paced without missing a beat in the plot, – yes, it is all that and more! Watch it for not only a stellar performance from Saba, but stellar direction, scenes of Karachi, powerful dialogue, messages delivered without sounding like you’re back in school, and a story line that just pulls you in further with every conversation.
Rania is breaking gender expectations, stereotypes and norms but she’s doing it with so much love that you slip into her story as a silent fan – cheering her on from the comfort of your living room! Watch this limited series one on ARY Digital. It is directed by Ahmed Bhatti, penned by Adeel Razzaq and is a project of iDream Entertainment.
3. Yunhi
Yunhi is the story of Dawood & Kaneez aka Kim and their families. The story is different from your usual OST blaring, repeat flashbacks and mother in law conspiracies. First episode dropped 5th February and the potential love story between Bilal Ashraf and Maya Ali’s characters has a vintage kind of feel. The frames give off a sepia-toned, old world feel. They speak in quiet, warm tones of an era gone by yet held onto by the Yunhi family members. Kim has come home from abroad for the first time and encounters Dawood who is everything she’s heard of about Pakistani men probably. her fears come from a place of zero awareness and loads of ignorance, but we are yet to see Dawood’s character respond to her quick judgement calls.
Yunhi is not for everyone. It’s soothing, calming to the senses, just like reading a classic novel. the OST by Shae Gill and Sami Khan is pure love. Watch if you’re in the mood to hit the snooze button on your drama watch, this one is for the vintage romance lover in you.
Yunhi airs on HUM TV. It is directed by Mohammad Ehteshamuddin, penned by Sarwat Nazir and has an ensemble cast that is handing out captivating performances.
4. Pyari Mona
Sanam Jung’s Pyari Mona is breaking new ground as the story takes on fat shaming, being obsessed about our weight, one way or another – a hot topic as yet not tackled on the Pakistani drama screen! Mona is a young girl who is not the ideal weight her family would like her to be. She is subjected to criticism, efforts to make her lose weight, find a suitable partner and in general, just control her life choices are just some of the topics on the menu.
Pyari Mona stars Adeel Hussain, Sanam Jung, Sabeeka Imam, Muhammad Hunbal and Mashal Khan among others. The drama airs on HUM TV, is directed by Ali Hassan and penned by Haseeb Ahmed. Watch this one to catch some cute, thought provoking and some poignant moments. Sanam Jung in a fat suit is nailing Mona and two thumbs up for the team at bringing a youth-relatable narrative to our screens.
5. Mere Ban Jao
Kinza Hashmi, Azfar Rehman and Zahid Ahmed are taking on a dark, socially relevant narrative with impactful performances. Azmia is engaged to be married to Fardeen while Zakki is a friend and a family tailor. Fardeen aka Azfar Rehman lives abroad and coaxes and emotional blackmails his fiancée Azmia whereby he makes her participate in inappropriate video calls. The drama serves as a warning for many young couples who are unsure of when and how to draw the line on online intimacy.
The plot and storytelling is handled very sensitively and yet, doesn’t lose impact. Kinza Hashmi as Azmia delivers a powerful performance. We are 4 episodes into the drama so catch up on the story as the next episode airs soon. This one is not for the faint at heart but a watch that promises to change mindsets and create awareness about relationships especially for the younger generation.
Mere Ban Jao falls in the more serious themed new dramas airing on HUM TV. It is directed by Syed Kamran and penned by Samira Afzal.
So that’s a wrap with 5 new dramas that are giving off storylines that hot different in 2023! Which one are you planning to watch and which ones will you give a miss?
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