Some Pakistani dramas have a way of making you miss the days when television was all about good writing, memorable characters, and humour that didn’t need to be over the top.
From clever social satire to everyday situations that still feel familiar, these old PTV classics have plenty to offer even today. This Throwback Thursday, we’re revisiting three Pakistani dramas that deserve another watch.
Aangan Terha: A Classic That Blended Comedy With Social Satire
Written by Anwar Maqsood and directed by Qaiser Farooq, Aangan Terha stars Salim Nasir, Bushra Ansari, and Durdana Butt. The story centres on Akbar, a former dancer who now works as a servant in the house of retired judge Jahan Ara Begum. Akbar is quite a character himself, and his interactions with the people around him make for some of the drama’s funniest moments. But there’s more to the story than household banter. Aangan Terha takes a dig at the way society looks at women, the importance it places on social status, and the many contradictions in people’s attitudes. Anwar Maqsood uses humour to make these points, so the social commentary never feels separate from the story. First aired in the 1980s, the drama is still worth watching, especially for those who enjoy comedy with a bit of a bite.
50-50: The Comedy Show That Made Everyday Life Funny
If you grew up watching old PTV shows, chances are you’ve come across 50-50 at some point. Created by Anwar Maqsood and directed by Shoaib Mansoor, the comedy show featured Ismail Tara, Majid Jehangir, Bushra Ansari, and Zeba Shehnaz, and gave viewers plenty of reasons to laugh. There wasn’t one big story to follow. Instead, each sketch picked up a different situation, a familiar character, or something happening in society and turned it into comedy. Politics, government offices, and people’s everyday habits were all fair game. Some sketches were simply funny, while others had a little more to say about the way things worked in the country. That mix was a big part of 50-50’s appeal. It’s the sort of show you can revisit years later and still enjoy, whether you’re watching it for the comedy or getting a glimpse of what Pakistani television looked like back then.
Ankahi: A Story Of Ambition, Family, And Finding Your Own Way
Haseena Moin’s Ankahi gave us one of PTV’s most memorable characters in Sana Murad, played by Shehnaz Sheikh. Directed by Shoaib Mansoor and Mohammad Nisar Hussain, the drama also featured Javed Sheikh, Shakeel, and Saleem Nasir. Sana is a young woman who wants to stand on her own feet, and after her father’s death, she takes up a job to help her family. She has her own ideas about how life should work, which don’t always sit well with the people around her. Her work life, family matters, and relationships bring their fair share of funny moments, but there’s a more serious side to her story too. At a time when women were often expected to put marriage and family before their own ambitions, Sana wanted to build a life for herself. She wasn’t perfect, and she didn’t always get things right, but she was never short of opinions. That’s part of what makes Ankahi such a lovely throwback, even after all these years.
So, which one are you going to watch?