Written by: Saman Khalid
Posted on: May 02, 2024 | 
| 中文
The entire cast of Suno Chanda in the final scene of the drama
Comedy is the one genre of media that complements every other entertainment medium and yet remains undervalued. While almost every film and television show has varying levels of humour, there are very few proper comedy transmissions out there, particularly in Pakistani television. Over the past few years, there have been several attempts at drawing traction to comedy as a genre of its own, especially pertaining to the rise of Ramadan special shows. But were these attempts successful? If yes, how can we build on it?
It is practically impossible to analyse Pakistani comedy and gloss over the insanely popular soap dramas added across the board. The first drama that comes to mind is undoubtedly Bulbulay, starring Nabeel Qureshi, Mahmood Aslam, Hina Dilpazir and Ayesha Umar. Bulbulay has been running successfully for the last 15 years. Hundreds of episodes have aired on television screens, thus providing a substantial amount of fodder for thought. Bulbulay started out as a quality show with effective punchlines and refreshing humour with unique characters. However, it has definitely lost its appeal by repetitive storylines and over-the-top comedy. It still makes for some great nostalgic television, but it falls short on the scale of merit.
Nabeel Zafar, Mehmood Aslam, Ayesha Omar and Hina Dilpazeer in Bulbulay
Naadaniyan is another show that ran for a long time before finally coming to an end. It featured Yasir Nawaz, Nida Yasir and Danish Nawaz going through a series of ridiculous sequences. The show's main highlight was the actors' natural wit and comedic timing. However, it suffered from a weakly written script and a dearth of creativity. Qudusi Sahab Ki Bewah, aired for the first time in 2014 with a grand total of 155 episodes. It followed the shenanigans of two families living in the same house with landlord and tenants. Hina Dilpazeer was the main character of the soap, and she basically carried the entire show. Her character, "Shakooran" impressed audiences with her vivacious on-screen persona, however, some critics found her acting a little exaggerated.
Danish Nawaz, Yasir Nawaz and Nida Yasir in Nadaniyaan
This is perhaps the best comedy drama series ever produced by our local industry. The Baraat series consists of 4 seasons, each one following a different couple from the larger cast of characters. The first season was called Azar Ki Ayegi Baraat, which set the stage for the subsequent seasons. The show essentially follows two families that are forced to mingle despite their differences; the Chaudary family from Faisalabad and Sila's family from Karachi. The show presents an extremely entertaining clash between traditional Punjabi values and more contemporary themes. Realistically compelling characters, intelligent dialogue and fresh relationship dynamics provided the flair to the show. Every season managed to retain the original essence of the drama, while also keeping things interesting. In fact, it is indeed a tragedy that the series was discontinued after Annie ki Ayegi Baraat. It would be a pleasant experience to watch a modern comeback of the show.
The wedding scene in Chupke Chupke
That's right, Saima Akram Chaudary has penned such entertaining comedy shows that she is an entire genre on her own. Her writing career in the industry began with the Ramadan drama Suno Chanda, which aired in 2018. The drama immediately soared to the heights of popularity owing to its extraordinary humour, heartwarming family dynamics and subtle romance. Suno Chanda basically stirred a resurgence of humorous dramas; a trend that was long dead. It drew attention to the fact that the viewers are sick of consuming the same old depressing stories, and are instead seeking light-hearted content that makes them laugh. It even received multiple awards and was extended to season 2, based on public demand. Two new Ramadan shows, namely Chupke Chupke and Ishq Jalebi were released the next year. Both the dramas proved to be excellent pieces of media, with solid comedy and wholesome themes. As expected, the rating charts proved once again that funny content needs to be appreciated and created more often.
(L to R) Hina Khawaja Bayat, Madiha Imam and Osama Khan in Ishq Jalebi
Following the golden age of comedy, the Pakistani television industry underwent a dark turn. It became an infectious trend for channels to churn out Ramadan shows every year. What seemed like an amazing idea at first, slowly fell victim to redundancy and cheesiness. The quality of humour kept dwindling, until not a single decent drama was left. Sure enough, the traction of such shows also continued to wane. What exactly is the reason behind this steady downfall?
In my opinion, it is the lack of originality. It appears as though every emerging comedy author follows the same formula: a huge family, enemy to lovers romance, a cookie-cutter Punjabi character and a few lame jokes for good measure. While these ingredients could potentially create outstanding comedy, they need to be concocted using fresh recipes. The same recipe being recycled over and over is bound to get boring. Moreover, the dialogue of most dramas is flimsy at best. The "punch lines" are extremely cringe-worthy and lack any semblance of depth and nuance. If nothing else works, directors exaggerate the performances in a barren attempt at making the show funny. It all comes together to create a dumpster fire that is everything but enjoyable.
Dananeer Mobeen and Ameer Gillani in Very Filmy
Contrary to popular belief, comedy is a collaborative art that is very tricky to master. It takes an intelligent script, skilful direction and balanced performances to create a genuinely hilarious show. The point about this type of content is that it needs to be completely natural and effortless. No amount of effort can manipulate the viewers into finding something funny, if it is not. Our drama makers often confuse being loud with good comedy. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Every critically acclaimed comedic piece draws from daily life activities and puts a humorous spin on it. What's more, it isn't just limited to dialogues. Gestures, expressions, accents and intonations are equally important. The legacy of our previous dramas proves that we have what it takes to nail the genre. Now, all that's left to do is for new creators to take inspiration from the old goodies and combine it with their original ideas.
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