Yes, I really mean it. This post is all about certain novels and movies which I would love to see adapted into local versions for drama serials.

# 3: What a Girl Wants

Amanda Bynes plays a teenager who has always wanted to know her high-flying politician father. Finally, she leaves USA and goes to Britain, only to discover that she has the same fitting-in issues her mother had. She also discovers the misunderstandings that were created between her parents. Along the way, she gets into many, many mishaps much to the delight of the British press. It was a hilarious yet poignant story. I have spun many local versions of this father-daughter saga in my head. Of course, you can always replace British politics with Pakistani politics.

# 2: Tarannum by Zubaida Khatoon

I have been in love with this novel even if it has some explicit flowery language. Set in the pre-partition era, the main character is, of course, Tarannum who has been brought up by her very strict grandmother. The grandmother is strict to the extent that she compels Taraanum to wear a niqaab in front of her step-mother, as she does not trust her. The grandmother’s misgivings actually turn out to be true when, after her death, the stepmother fixes Tarannum’s marriage with Nawab Zeeshan, with whom she herself is having a covert affair. Tarannum is a simple, innocent girl. So what happens when she finds out the truth, one night before her wedding? Excellent, excellent story!

# 1: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

I just finished reading this novel and WOW! This is an issue most Pakistani women need to address as well. The plot focuses around Samantha Sweeting, who is a workaholic lawyer with absolutely no family or social life. However, her entire world comes crashing down her when she realizes she has made a “mistake”. She runs away to the nearest town, gets mistaken as an interviewee housekeeper and suddenly realizes she has no idea how to cook or iron. The very heart-warming tale follows Samantha as she learns that weekends are supposed to be off and you do not boil chickpeas in the oven. As she learns how to “live”, she learns how to love as well. But of course, there is a lot more and I seriously hope someone adapts this for our television mainly because the decision of whether or not to work is a woman’s alone and it needs to be respected.

Written by Drama Buff ([email protected])