The Good , The Bad And The Ugly of 2012

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY: Dramas 2012

What makes a drama last on in our memories? Is it stories that reflect our lives or the ones which allow us to step through the looking glass into another world? The very best ones make us love the characters, argue their dilemmas and root for their success, no matter how far removed they are from our own experience. 2012 has been a good year and we have seen some of the best productions of recent times.

My Insincere apologies if I missed some staggering work of creative genius but I think we got most of the good stuff covered. Oh, and in the reviewers/critics’ (main categories) choice Humsafar is deliberately excluded because it has already won everything bar a Nobel Prize, and other people need something to talk about at parties.

The team at www. Drama Pakistani.net conducted two sets of public polling online. One for nominations from each channels’ best dramas and performers while the Best of 2012 were chosen from those most popular nominees in another set of public polls. The results were fairly predictable but well deserved. The reviewer’s choice awards were not easily made. After spending literally hundreds of hours watching, and analyzing dramas with blog readers across three continents you can tell we take our dramas very seriously

BEST SERIAL

People’s Choice Humsafar

Reviewer’s Choice Bilqees Kaur and Durr e Shehwar

Our nominations reflect the diversity of our reviewers the younger crowd rooting for Sirat e Mustaqeem and the married ladies for the poignant journey of Durr e Shehwar. Bilqees Kaur was unforgettable because of its unsentimental realism, laugh out loud humour and seamlessly blended story track from Faisalabad to Lahore to New York. We just could not decide so we have joint winners

BEST DIRECTOR

People’s Choice Sarmad Sultan Khoosat

Reviewer’s Choice Haissem Hussain

Three nominations were made: Sarmad Khoosat for Sheher e Zaat, Adnan Ahmed for Bilqees Kaur and Haissem Hussain for Durr e Shehwar. The winner was an easy choice, Haissem Hussain by a landslide. Haissem Hussain wove magic into this well-worn story, bringing out strong performances from his entire cast. At times Haissem Hussain and Sarmad Khoosat simply surpass their medium, carrying their work above the level of humble drama to a cinematic level no one else can touch.

BEST WRITER

People’s Choice Farhat Ishtiaq

Reviewer’s Choice Samira Fazal

The backbone of Pakistani Dramas is their highly talented writers, who manage to raise even the most mundane stories to masterful interpretations of the human condition. Farhat Ishtiaq’s simple ,beautifully written story could not have failed to touch anyone’s heart. It was a difficult decision between Faiza ifthikhar for Bilqees Kaur and Roag; Sarwat Nazir for Sirat E Musteqeem; Umera Ahmed for Durr e Shehwar and Sheher e Zaat; and Samira Fazal for Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan. The winner was Samira Fazal, the sheer brilliance of her script overcoming all the production and editing flaws in this underestimated drama.

BEST ACTRESS

People’s Choice Sanam Baloch

Reviewer’s choice Sanam Baloch

Saba Qamer’s amazing portrayal of the selfish Saman in Maath had us screaming at our television screens while Mahira Khan was a close runner up in the people’s choice for her popular role as Khirad in Humsafar. Sanam Baloch’s unmatched portrayal of the younger, ever so slightly passive –aggressive Durr e Shehwar carried the popular and reviewers choice vote for best actress. She is that rare combination sweetness and talent that makes for an almost universal favourite

BEST ACTOR

People’s Choice Fawad Afzal Khan

Reviewer’s Choice Mikaal Zulfikaar

This might have been another double with Fawad Khan nuanced portrayal of the Mujtaba in Kuch Pyar Ka Pagalpan . There was strong competition from Faysal Qureshi, whom we loved as the hapless Shaikhoo in Jahaiz. Sheheryaar Munawar’s outstanding job as the mute Arooj In Merey Dard Ko Jo Awaz Miley did not go unnoticed nor did Sami Khan for his happy go lucky portrayal of Mustaqeem. However, the winner simply had to be Mikaal, who surprised the life out of us by his performance as the archetypal Mummy’s boy Mansoor. Let us just say we fell of our chairs with a collective “hain??”

Reviewer’s Choice Best Soap Nikher Gaaey Ghulab Sarey

We hate soaps; the very word makes us shudder. However, two of them impressed us so much we were glued to our television screens, reluctant to blink just in case we missed something. The clever story of Dareechey, combining psychology and superstition, served as a great canvass for Imran Aslam’s magnetic portrayal of Faizan Shah. However, the winner had to be NGGS; the story of this dysfunctional family had its viewers riveted. We just could not forget Sabreen Hasbani as the cursed by fate Saima Bhabi

Surprisingly Good Serials

Ek Nazar Meri Taraf this was a serial which turned shaky beginnings into high quality drama.

Kaffir…… We still don’t know why

Some fun awards from the reviewers…

Most Adorable Couple

Mikaal Zulfikar and Sanam Baloch as Mansoor and Durr e Shehwar

Ahsan Khan and Syra Yusef as Sultan and Soha from Bilqees Kaur

Sheheyar Munawar and Sarwat Gilani as Arooj and Amna from Merey Dard Ko Jo Zuban Miley

Most Heartstoppingly Beautiful Couple

Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan as Khirad and Asher in Humsafar

Mahirah Khan and Mikaal Zulfikaar as Falak and Salman in Sheher e Zaat

BEST ABCD (American born Confused Desi)