Pakistani Dramas Based on Real Stories - Although most writers take inspiration from real stories, few of them reveal that Pakistani dramas are based on a true story. Fiction always has some connection with facts and reality may sometimes be stranger than fiction!
There have been quite a few Pakistani dramas that were either based entirely on real stories or that the book drew a great deal of inspiration from real-life events. Sometimes, not all of the events in a drama are based on real events but the main theme of the story is related to something that happened in reality.
There are also writers who are brave enough to write their own stories. Here is a list of relatively recent Pakistani dramas that are based on true stories:
Rehaai
Rehaai,Farhat Ishtiaq is written and directed by Mehreen Jabbar and produced by Kashf Foundation and MD Productions. This drama was broadcast on HUM and Nauman Ijaz, and Sania Shamshad, Danish Timur, Nushin Shah played the central roles in it.
Rahai was the first project funded in part by Kashf. It has raised awareness of the widespread issue of child marriage in some parts of Pakistan.
The writer was inspired by the many real life stories Kashf recorded in its record. Kashf Foundation deals with women who face oppression and challenges on a regular basis, so they have extensive experience in this field.
Writer Farhat Ishtiaq listened to and read the stories of women that were helped by Kashf Foundation, and the result was a scenario that was highly appreciated. This drama also had a radio version directed by Adel Hashemi.
The radio version was an attempt by Kashf to reach people in those areas where child marriage is still practiced. Aside from shining a light on the issue of child marriage, this drama also showed how powerful women actually are and how they can empower themselves.
Mein Sitara
Dramatic series "Mein Sitara" is written by Faiza Iftikhar, directed by Sima Taher Khan and produced by TV One. It was broadcast on TV ONE and the team included big names such as: Saba Qamar, Anum Fayyad, Numan Ijaz, Aisha Gul, Mkal Zulfikar, Meera, Hassan Ahmed, Rashid Farooqi. Mein Sitara was an exceptional play that was based on the lives of film industry actors and directors.
Setara's character in particular is inspired by one of the most famous actresses in the film industry. Saba Qamar played the role of Sitara - a poor girl who makes her big in the industry.
The play showed what really goes on behind the scenes and how actresses sometimes have to fight many difficult battles at the same time. Mein Sitara was a story of friendship, dreams, love and despair as well as hope! It was an emotional journey that covered 3 decades of the film industry
Pyare Afzal
The book "Pyare Afzal" is written by Khalil Rahman Qamar, directed by Nadim Bey and produced by Six Sigma Entertainment. Pyare Afzal was broadcast on ARY Digital and the cast included stars such as Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sana Javid, Ayza Khan, Sohail Ali Abru, Firdaws Jamal, Anushi Abbasi and Saba Faisal. Very few people know that the idea for this play actually came from a real incident that Khalil al-Rahman often told to his friends.
Khalil al-Rahman Qamar shared in an interview that during a conversation with Humayun Saeed, Nadim Beek, and Yasser from the M group, he was telling them about a college friend named Afzal who was writing love letters himself but he used to tell his friends about it.
The girl was sending him these messages. Khalil Rahman arrested his friend red-handed once and this is a story he tells everyone since he found it really amusing. Yasser suggested that he write a script based on this incident. At first, Khalil al-Rahman said that was not possible because this was only a short incident and nothing more.
Later, at Yasser’s insistence, Khalil Rahman finally wrote the script. He also shared in an interview that once he finished writing the script, he called his best friend and told him that he was going to be famous without him knowing that the drama was actually going to be a massive hit! pyare-afzal
Baghi
Written by Baghi Shazia Khan, directed by Farooq Rand and produced by Urdu1 - Paragon Productions. Baghi aired on Urdu1 and starring Saba Qamar, Othman Khaled Bet, Khaled Malik, Ali Kazemi, Irfan Khosat, Sarmad Khoussat, Gawhar Mumtaz, Saba Faisal.
Baaghi was one of those very few shows that took inspiration from a life of social media sensation that has always been the center of attention. It was also one such drama that was promoted as a biographical film, and unlike many other production houses, the makers of this drama did not hold back while promoting it as The Story of Jellyfish Baloch.
However, when the drama was aired, viewers were informed that this was not the actual Qandil story but that the writer only drew inspiration from Qandil's life. Saba Qamar played Qandeel Baloch and was totally inspired by Qandeel's rise. Since Qandil's public life has been witnessed by many people in the recent past,
viewers remembered to watch a lot of what was shown in the drama either on TV or on social media. The drama showed the real life of Kandil Baloch, which the producers claimed no one knew. Show how she entered the world of entertainment and how she was used and abused by different people
Khaani
Dramatic series Khani written by Asma Nabil, directed by Anjum Shahzad, and produced by 7th Sky Entertainment. It was broadcast on Geo Entertainment and included actors Feroz Khan, Sana Jawid, Saman Ansari, Mahmoud Aslam, Rashid Farooqi, Salma Hassan, Qafi Khan, Simi Pasha. Khani was one of those dramas that was based on true stories.
The story of the drama was based on a tragic incident that was highlighted in the media time and time again.
It involved the tragic murder of a middle-class youth by the son of a feudal lord. The real incident highlighted the system's weaknesses because in the end the rich and influencers got away with the kill - quite literally! Khani's story is largely inspired by this incident, but the manner in which this story was presented was different.
The end was also poles far from reality. The makers of Khaani tried to give people hope while the real-life incident from which the drama was inspired did not give such hope. Feroz Khan played Hadi, who was the son of a wealthy politician and had long been convinced that he was invincible.
Sana Javid played Khani, the sister of the murdered young man Hadi. She refused to surrender and fought to the end
Piyari Bitto
Piyari Bitto screenplay was written by Saji Gul, directed by Syed Mazhar Moeen and produced by Musharraf Jefri and Naveed Arshad. Piyari Bitto was broadcast on Express Entertainment. Sanya Saeed, Atiqa Odeh, Samia Shamshad, Nair Ijaz and Farah all played lead roles in the drama.
Writer Saji Gul shared in an interview that this drama was based on the story of a family member with Alzheimer's disease. Although this person was a male, during the dramatic acting, the main role appeared as a female. However, real-life events were left unchanged.
Piari Pitto promised to spread awareness about Alzheimer's disease, but even with the strong performances of Sanya Said and Atiqa Udo, the drama failed to impress viewers. It stretched out and did little in terms of raising awareness of mental health.
Damsa
Damsa text was written by Asma Nabil, directed by Najaf Beljrami, and produced by Shazia and Jahhat. Nadia Jamil, Shahd Alawi, Gul Rana, Asya Alam, Aisha Gul, Iman Sheikh, were among the actors who played lead roles in the drama.
Nadia Jamil said in an interview that Duma was based on a lot of real stories. Nadia Jameel works closely with children who have been kidnapped or trafficked, so this was a story very close to her heart.
Like many other dramas on this list, Dhamsa was also a drama meant to spread awareness. The drama remained true to the actual theme it promised to stir, right up until the end. The producers tried their best to bring those bitter facts that were unfortunately hidden from many to viewers.
Mere Pass Tum Ho
Dramatic series Mere Pass Tom is written by Khalil Rahman Qamar, directed by Nadim Bek, and produced by Six Sigma Plus. Humayun Saeed, Ayza Khan, Adnan Siddiqui, Hira Mani, Shaz Sajjad Jules and Sapphire Nadim played the central characters in the drama. Khalil al-Rahman Qamar often writes his characters and stories based on real-life events.
Humayun Saeed and Khalil Rahman surprised the viewers when they shared that Mere Pass Tum Ho is based on a true story.
Mir Bass Tom Ho is about a couple. It was a story of eternal love and betrayal. This drama is becoming increasingly popular due to its great performances and storylines that were bold and engaging.
The writer shared the story of the man he knew and who went through what Danesh had gone through and also said that the character of the young Rumi was based on his childhood personality.
Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi
This drama is written by Amna Al Mufti, directed by Kashif Nassar and produced by MD Productions. It was broadcast on HUM and included the main cast: Numan Ijaz, Ersa Ghazal, Saba Qamar, Suhail Ahmed, Yumna Zaidi, Amir Rana, Ozma Hassan, Salim Maraj. Ullu Baraye Farokht is another drama based on true stories.
The story of Ullu Baraye Farokht Nahi was one of lust and revenge. The drama had different paths that showed how the love of money can destroy relationships and how men in certain rural areas of Pakistan use women to settle disputes.
The widespread persecution of women was also highlighted in the drama. The characters and the story were complex and difficult to influence. Noman Ijaz played a negative role in the play, and his performance was highly appreciated by critics and viewers. The drama is based on a short story written by Amna Al Mufti
Titli
Drama series Titli written by Samina Ijaz, directed by Ahmed Bhati and produced by 7th Sky Entertainment. It was broadcast on Urdu1 and included the central cast Hania Amer, Ali Abbas, Imad Irfani, Taqeer Ahmed, Obaid Ali, Saba Faisal, and Simi Pasha. Tetley was based on the true story of a girl who loses everything due to her pride and greed.
Hania Amer played Nayla, a beautiful girl who comes from a rich family but who is married to a wealthy family. Her husband, Ahmed (Ali Abbas), is not quite as "beautiful", and as a result, she never respects or loves him. Some of the characters were sometimes very black and white but the drama was interesting.
The main strong characters with specific characteristics that Hania Amir and Ali Abbas played beautifully were the main reason why Tetley was not just another drama that showed marital problems. And the fact that she was inspired by real life also made it easy to call titli
Meri Guriya
Meri Gurria is written by Radin Shah, directed by Ali Hassan and produced by Big Bang Entertainment. It was broadcast on ARY Digital and included actors Mohsen Abbas Haider, Sonia Hussain, Sania Saeed, Sajid Hassan, Aisha Khan (Old Age). The main story of Mary Gurria was based on the tragic and brutal murder of several young girls and the murder of Zainab in particular.
The drama showed how the mentally disturbed killer's mind works and the role the victim's family can play to ensure the killer does not escape crime. It also shows how the authorities' often negligence is the reason the killers are not arrested.
This drama had some of the most amazing shows. Mohsen Abbas Haider played the role of a serial killer in the show, Sanya Saeed and Sonya Hussein starred in positive roles.
Ruswai
Ruswai is written by Naela Ansari, directed by Robina Ashraf, and produced by Six Sigma Plus. Sana Javid, Michael Zulfikar, Simi Raheel, Muhammad Ahmad, Ersa Ghazal, Othman Pirzada, Usama Taher, Mina Tariq, Shamim Ali and Adnan Jaafar played leadership roles in Rusawi.
The writer said in an interview that the tragic accident shown in Rossway did happen in De Daria. A father rescues his friend's daughter while his daughter is kidnapped.
The main goal of writing this drama was to show what happens after her kidnappers bring the girl home. The attitude of society and even her family was supposed to be the main issue in the drama.
According to the writer, while news channels broadcast news, people never see or know what is going on in the victims' lives. In order to satisfy the commercial needs of the producers, the story was derailed for several weeks and eventually the story was hastily wrapped up.
Mubarak Ho Beti Hui Hei
Mubarak Ho Beti Hui Hei Written by Fayza Iftikhar, directed by Badr Mahmoud and produced by Big Bang Entertainment. This drama was broadcast on ARY Digital, Saime Nour, Sabreen Hasbani, Sajid Hassan, Aisha Khan (Kabir), Sabr Ali, Sayed Yorgo Tipo, Nahid Shabir and Marium Ansari, and they played the central roles in the drama.
The first half of Mubarak is Betty Hui Hai based entirely on the true story of Faiza Iftikhar's mother. It was a tribute to her inspiring mother who fought against all odds to raise empowered and enlightened girls.
The drama series showed how blessing it is to have a girl. Saima Nour played the role of Nahid, who was mistreated because she did not bear a son. She did not let her husband or society dictate to her, as she was not a rebel but rather a mother who did everything in her power to ensure that her daughters felt love and need.
Nahid was one of the strongest championships we saw in Pakistani dramas. The writer was able to beautifully convey all the messages she wanted to convey through the characters who were inspiring and communicable.
Sadqay Tumhare
Sadqay Tumhare was written by Khalil al-Rahman Qamar, directed by Muhammad Ihtishamuddin, and produced by MD Productions. This drama was broadcast on HUM and the actors consisted of big names such as Mahira Khan, Adnan Malik, Samia Mumtaz, Rehan Sheikh, Farhan Ali Agha, Shamil Khan and Sania Shamshad. Khalil al-Rahman has always been known for his daring stories and not being undone, but Sidqi Tamheer was another radical altogether!
This was the story of Khalil Rahman himself and he made it clear that not a single scene in the drama was added for the dramatic filming. Khalil Al-Rahman wrote his own love story - a love story that did not have a happy ending! Khalil's character in the drama played the role of Adnan Malik, and Mahra Khan played the role of Shanu, who was in love with Khalil's life.
While receiving the award for the program, Khalil al-Rahman Qamar said that many of his relatives might feel he owed them an apology but he didn't need to feel like doing it! This basically went to show that he was very sure about telling the story. It takes a lot of courage for a writer to write his own story like this and then fully own it as well.
Inkaar
Zafar Marraj's Inkaar was written, directed by Kashif Nassar and produced by MD Productions. Inkaa was broadcast on HUM and featured the main cast from Yumna Zaidi, Omran Ashraf, Sami Khan, Rehan Sheikh, Noor Al Hassan, Menzeh Aref and others. Although the makers of the drama never promoted it as a true story, it was clearly inspired by the struggles and story of Khadija Siddiqui. Khadija Siddiqui was stabbed by her colleague in broad daylight and fought for many years for justice.
The Story of Inkaar is the story of a young woman who is stabbed by a wealthy and influential man who believes he owns her just because she has been friends with him for some time.
Inkaar was a progressive topic and an important message. It has highlighted the importance of consent and showed some positive male leads as well.