Pakistani drama serials are often criticized for the repetitive and uninventive storytelling. Audiences are tired of the same old tropes and characters being tossed at them every week. This also includes the beaten-to-death trope that is love triangles, currently visible in the teaser of Tere Ishq Ke Naam.
Love triangles are one of if not the most used storyline in Pakistani drama serials. While TV shows in the past like Maat and Mere Paas Tum Ho have managed to keep it fresh by incredible performances and a new premise, the current shows are a mere shadow of those that came before them.
The most recent example of this is Tere Ishq Ke Naam, which just released its teasers featuring yet another love triangle. The immediate response saw audiences show their utter disdain towards this lazy trope. Let’s discuss.
Tere Ishq Ke Naam Teaser
We have gotten two teasers so far. The first teaser plays like a short film on its own featuring Hiba Bukhari and Usman Khan’s characters’ journey from falling in love to getting married and falling out of love. The teaser then ends with Zaviyar Nauman entering the mix, teasing a potential love triangle.
The second teaser, released today, shows the contrasting lifestyles of Hiba and Zaviyar, hinting at their paths intertwining at some point. Yashma Gill is also part of the main cast but has not yet been featured in any teasers. Ahmad Bhatti from Ghisi Piti Mohabbat and Maha Malik from Koi Chand Rakh are directing and writing respectively.
Love Triangles
While the teasers, particularly the first one, do show some inventive filmmaking and gimmicks, the overall response has been one big groan from the audience. Viewers are much savvier these days to quickly dismiss overused tropes such as ‘saas/bahu’ storylines and love triangles.
Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha, also featuring Zaviyar, is another example of a currently airing show that features a love triangle. These shows also garner incredible viewership numbers and are loved by the actors’ respective fandoms.
But there are still many who feel turned off by the painstakingly derivative nature of these shows. The responsibility lies with our production houses to look for writers with new ideas, as TV is a writer’s medium and can only progress with them.
Promoting Extra Marital Affairs?
The first teaser ends with Hiba’s character going back outside and running into Zaviyar’s character. This had people questioning if the show was hinting at an extra marital affair. There is cause for concern among viewers due to this idea.
However, there’s only so much that can be deduced by just two teasers. The full story has yet to unfold when the show starts airing later this month. Hopefully we can be pleasantly surprised by it and the story has more to offer. We will certainly be reviewing it in the coming weeks.
