
In tense relations with India, Pakistani TV dramas build bridges
Two Pakistani women sit together on a couch, rehearsing their lines while a director scrutinizes them.
Waiting off camera for his scene is the male lead, an actor blessed with Bachelor hair and fine bone structure. Also out of sight: the Islamabad homeowners, who are holed up in a separate room and whose furniture and knickknacks will be seen by millions of viewers — many from the society that has been their country's neighbor and uneasy sparring partner for much of the past century.
This is the set of the Pakistani drama Adhi Bewafai, or Half Infidelity — one of what some in other nations would call "soap operas."
But these dramas, it turns out, are not just for Pakistanis. Realistic settings, natural dialogue and almost workaday plots about families and marriages make Pakistani dramas a hit with viewers at home and abroad — especially in the neighboring country that split with Pakistan in 1947 and is its nuclear archrival today: India.
Television, it seems, is succeeding where diplomacy sometimes can't.
A glimpse into life across the border
Several thousand people work in Pakistan's drama industry; the country produces between 80 to 120 shows a year, each one a source of escapism and intrigue. They offer Indians a tantalizing glimpse into life across the border — and manage to break through decades of enmity between the two governments.
Maheen Shafeeq, a research associate at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad, says there is effectively no relationship between the two governments. Each government is fixed on a single issue it cannot move past — for India, it's terrorism; for Pakistan, the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
"The governments are very much opposed to each other," she says. "They don't agree what they should talk about."
Although it's difficult for Indians to visit Pakistan, where these shows are filmed, they faithfully follow the plot twists and turns through platforms like YouTube, ZEE5, and MX Player.
For those of a certain generation, however, it wasn't always so easy to keep up.
Kaveri Sharma, a writer in the Indian city of Patna, recalls her mother-in-law and aunt jiggling antennas in the 1980s and 1990s in hopes of catching a signal from Pakistan's state broadcaster, PTV. It's how Sharma first realized that the country next door was a drama powerhouse. It inspired her to discover the shows for herself years later, even going on to watch them with her own daughter.
"They feel familiar, but they are also a break from our own lives," Sharma says. "I don't see any differences between the two countries. Everything is relatable. I see Karachi and think that it could be Lucknow or Patna. What happens on the shows could happen to me or my friends."
She had heard only negative things about Pakistan since childhood — that it was the enemy that would take everything from India. The TV dramas have added subtlety and detail to this image for her. She would love to visit, but is unlikely to get the opportunity. So she explores Pakistan through the locations, malls, offices, streets and restaurants depicted on the small screen.
The names of popular Karachi neighborhoods roll off her tongue. Sharma, like Bibi Hafeez in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad and Punita Kumar in the central Indian city of Raipur, raves about the dramas' universality of themes, the strong characterization and the emotional range.
"Pakistani characters are not only heroes or villains. They have shades to them, and that is very human," says Kumar, who chanced upon a Pakistani drama through a chunky videocassette when she was a teenager living in the northern Indian city of Aligarh. It was love at first watch.
"They captivated me. We got a cable connection that offered PTV. Then YouTube came and I realized I could search for whatever drama I wanted. I haven't taken a stop," she said. "We get exposure to Pakistani life in the scenes, but the struggles the characters have with their relatives are ones I would have with my own."
Pakistani TV veteran Khaled Anam is delighted by Indians' enthusiasm for the country's serials and the barriers they help erode.
"What Bollywood is to India, dramas are to Pakistan," says Anam, who is based in Karachi and has worked as an actor since the 1980s. He has appeared in many dramas, including the ratings smash Humsafar (Life Partner).
India's productions go big, while Pakistan's are more low key
India dominates the movie market in South Asia and beyond, with big stars and bigger budgets. Pakistanis have been exposed to Bollywood films for decades, although the prevailing hostile political climate means they can't watch them in movie theaters. The bans are mutual, though. India, like Pakistan, restricts content from across the border in movie theaters and TV channels.
And while India is no slouch when it comes to TV production, it doesn't offer viewers what Pakistan does, according to Anam: simplicity, depth of writing and a limited number of episodes.
"There are 15-minute flashbacks in Indian serials. (The characters) are decked out and dolled up. It's a fantasy world. The shows go on forever. Everything is 'DUN dun dun!'" says Anam, mimicking a dramatic musical riff and shaking his hands.
The actors on the couch in Islamabad are rehearsing lines about a woman who is disrespectful and so, according to one of them, is an unsuitable marriage prospect. The delivery and grammar could be heard in virtually any South Asian household.
"Pakistanis are generally emotional people, and that is in their dramas also," says Islamabad-based director Saife Hassan. "It would take me less than two minutes to explain the plot of the super-duper hit Kabhi Main, Kabhi Tum (Sometimes Me, Sometimes You). It's about the emotions between a husband and wife."
Hassan, who began his TV career in the 1990s, says Indians frequently comment on his social media pages and send him direct messages about his work. He even recalls Indian viewers praying for the recovery of a character who was in a coma.
Hassan would love to see more homegrown dramas make it onto platforms like Netflix, as some Indian shows have with great success. But he wonders whether international audiences would understand and connect with Pakistani stories or lives: "The way we think is different from the West. Our shows are not driven by events. They are driven by emotions."
There is also a lack of raunch in Pakistani dramas, which are family-friendly with little to no vulgarity, violence, or even action. Indians, therefore, are a natural audience for Pakistani dramas, Hassan says. "They are our people. They are like us. They eat like us," he says. "I love India, and I love Indians. They have grown out of this animosity."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gyre Therapeutics Announces First Dosing in Phase 1 Trial of F230 for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in China
SAN DIEGO, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gyre Therapeutics ('Gyre') (Nasdaq: GYRE), an innovative, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing fibrosis-first therapies across organ systems affected by chronic disease, today announced that the first volunteer has been successfully dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating F230, a novel endothelin A ('ETA') receptor antagonist, for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension ('PAH').This milestone marks Gyre's entry into the PAH field, a rare, progressive, and high-mortality cardiovascular condition with limited treatment options. PAH is recognized in China's National Rare Disease Catalog, underscoring its significance in public health. According to Frost & Sullivan, China's PAH market was valued at $370 million in 2023 and is projected to grow to $480 million by 2031.F230, originally discovered by Eisai Co., Ltd. and exclusively licensed by GNI Group Ltd. to Gyre, is a fully synthetic small molecule designed to selectively block the ETA receptor. By targeting this pathway, F230 is designed to reduce pulmonary vascular remodeling and lower pulmonary pressure, key contributors to PAH Phase 1 trial is designed to evaluate safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics in healthy volunteers. The trial represents the latest expansion of Gyre's fibrosis-first strategy beyond the liver, leveraging a robust clinical development platform and commercial infrastructure in China.F230 joins Gyre's pipeline alongside lead candidate Hydronidone (F351), which met the primary endpoint in a pivotal Phase 3 trial for CHB-fibrosis. A New Drug Application ('NDA') submission to China's National Medical Products Administration ('NMPA') is planned for the third quarter of 2025, and a pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is being planned for an expected Phase 2 trial in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis ('MASH') Gyre TherapeuticsGyre Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in San Diego, CA, primarily focused on the development and commercialization of Hydronidone for liver fibrosis, including MASH, in the U.S. Gyre's strategy builds on its experience in mechanistic studies using MASH rodent models and clinical studies in CHB-induced liver fibrosis. In the People's Republic of China, Gyre is advancing a broad pipeline through its indirect controlling interest in Gyre Pharmaceuticals, including therapeutic expansions of ETUARY, and development programs for F573, F528, and StatementsThis press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the 'safe harbor' provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties and are based on estimates and assumptions. All statements, other than statements of historical facts included in this press release, are forward-looking statements, including statements concerning the expectations regarding Gyre's research and development efforts and timing of expected clinical trials, including an NDA submission to the NMPA for F351, the expected clinical benefits of F230 and expectations regarding interactions with regulators. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as 'may,' 'might,' 'will,' 'objective,' 'intend,' 'should,' 'could,' 'can,' 'would,' 'expect,' 'believe,' 'design,' 'estimate,' 'predict,' 'potential,' 'plan' or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our plans, estimates, and expectations, as of the date of this press release. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation: Gyre's ability to execute on its clinical development strategies; positive results from a clinical trial may not necessarily be predictive of the results of future or ongoing clinical trials; the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals; competition from competing products; the impact of general economic, health, industrial or political conditions in the United States or internationally; the sufficiency of Gyre's capital resources and its ability to raise additional capital. Additional risks and factors are identified under 'Risk Factors' in Gyre's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed on March 17, 2025 and in other filings Gyre may make with the SEC. Gyre expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by Contact:David ZhangGyre in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


Daily Record
25 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Love Island shock twist as girl brutally dumped from villa
First look into the action on tonight's episode of Love Island - as one Islander can't handle the pressure and another is sent packing... After an explosive launch episode, which saw over 1.4 million viewers tune into this year's Love Island, it's fair to say that summer has finally arrived. Last night Maya Jama announced the shocking news that one Islander will be sent home, cutting their time in the villa short, just 24 hours after they arrived. American bombshell Toni arrived and rocked the villa, leaving Shakira vulnerable and the other girls feeling the pressure to keep hold of their men. As we anticipate the outcome here is your sneak peek into tonight's episode of Love Island. The episode opens with Dejon checking in on Shakira to make sure she's okay with being left single - which leaves Meg feeling worried as she tells the other girls: "I don't have my man, Dejon's gone - that's it!" Meanwhile Shakira shows Dejon her vulnerable side, expressing: "That was a lot, it was intense, I was trying not to shake like a leaf. I've got a busy day ahead of me by the looks of it!" Later, Dejon and Meg head to the Terrace, with Dejon keen to reassure Meg. He tells her: "You haven't got anything to worry about, you're my favourite, one thing about me is I'll always be honest with my feelings." The next morning Toni and Shakira have a heart to heart, with Toni stating: "Just so you know, it wasn't personal, I'm rooting for else are you interested in?" To which Shakira replies: "Everyone!" and Toni says: "I'm telling you, I believe in you, you're not leaving." Shakira adds: "I know the boys are attracted to me on a surface level, but it's about whether we click." The singleton wastes no time getting her flirt on, as she asks Harry to join her on the terrace for a chat and things quickly heat up. The pair flirt back and forth as Shakira teases: "Haza you little minx!" as Harry jokingly replies, "It's day two come on let's keep it PG." Shakira doesn't stop at just Harry, as she pulls Conor, Blu and Tommy all for separate chats one after the other in hopes to find a connection. She confides in Tommy telling him: "I think it's best I try to get to know everyone." Shakira's chat with Tommy does not go down well with Megan as she takes matters into her own hands. With a push from Helena telling Megan to "claim your man!" She interrupts the conversation, sealing Tommy away for a chat. On the terrace, Megan confesses: "That made me a little bit jealous." But will Megan's jealous seeing Tommy with Shakira get the better of her, and push Tommy away? Later in the episode, as the Islanders get ready - with one getting ready for the final time in the villa - there is a tense feeling in the air as they know one of the girls will be going home tonight. Will Shakira's efforts be enough, or will she be sent packing? Maya makes a dramatic return to the Villa, telling the Islanders: "Your 24 hours are up, please meet me by the fire pit." At the fire pit Maya continues: "I gave you 24 hours to find a connection with one of the other boys or risk being dumped from the Island tonight, but have you done enough?" "Boys, do you wanna play it safe and stick with your current partner or take the risk and recouple with Shakira?" She then announces "Ok guys, if you feel you have a stronger connection with Shakira than your current couple, then please stand up…" As the girls watch on nervously, will any of the boys go for it and stand up for Shakira…or will it be Shakira herself packing up her suitcase?


Newsweek
25 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Elon Musk's Foreign Visitors Were Tracked By US: Report
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. U.S. government agencies monitored visits by foreign nationals to properties owned by Elon Musk over concerns about potential efforts to influence the tech billionaire, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The investigation, which took place in 2022 and 2023, involved the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department, according to the report. It focused on individuals from Eastern Europe and other regions who had visited Musk. This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.