In a groundbreaking move, HUM TV is embarking on a journey to redefine its recent drama offerings, placing a significant spotlight on male protagonists. This remarkable departure from the traditional narrative, where female characters often take centre stage, not only breathes fresh life into the entertainment industry but also introduces a torrent of innovative stories onto the television screen.
This shift towards male-centric dramas not only alters perspectives but also unearths a wealth of creative potential and storyline possibilities. It promotes a more inclusive and diverse representation that is likely to captivate a fresh audience in the television industry.
Let’s dive into some recent examples of dramas with male-oriented storylines.
Namak Haram: Starring Imran Ashraf as Mureed
Promising a gripping storyline, HUM TV’s upcoming drama serial Namak Haram revolves around the central character Mureed, who is essayed by the talented Imran Ashraf.
The drama is a tale of love, vengeance, and redemption, focusing on a man who belongs to a family of servants, who pay their allegiance to a rich household. Imran Ashraf plays a strong-headed character who is bound to break norms and generations of customs, which are set in place, in order to take revenge that has been brewing for the last twenty-seven years.
Written by Saqlain Abbas and directed by Shaqielle Khan. The drama promises a strong plotline based on Imran’s character and his story of revenge, a power-play, in addition to a love story, with Sarah Khan as the female protagonist.
Zulm: Starring Faysal Quraishi as Malik-e-Jalal
In a thrilling collaboration between writer Rehana Aftab and director Ilyas Kashmiri, the much-anticipated HUM TV drama Zulm is all set to make its grand entrance. Adding an extra layer of excitement is the return of the seasoned actor, Faysal Quraishi, to the HUM TV stage after an eight-year hiatus.
The teasers for this upcoming drama have left us on the edge of our seats, with Faysal Quraishi taking on the role of a formidable and morally corrupted character. The narrative orbits around his enigmatic persona, shrouding it in a cloak of intrigue and mystery. From the glimpses we’ve seen, Faysal’s character emerges as a man who’s unafraid to wield his power ruthlessly – we witness him pulling the trigger, intimidating others, and abusing his authority, even holding a woman captive. Faysal Quraishi’s charisma and vast acting experience add an extra layer of mystique to this character. The burning question on everyone’s mind is how this intriguing character will evolve as the drama unfolds.
Rah-e-Junoon: Starring Danish Taimoor
With Danish Taimoor leading the cast, Rah-e-Junoon is all set to grace our screens with yet another intriguing tale, depicting the story of a woman forced into marriage and the subsequent evolution of their relationship.
Once again, Danish Taimoor takes on the role of a character embodying toxic masculinity and anger issues. While this isn’t Danish’s first rodeo in playing such a role, there’s an undeniable excitement surrounding his on-screen portrayal. Danish has consistently impressed us with his past performances, leaving an indelible mark, and we’re eagerly anticipating his interpretation of this character.
Penned by Rehana Aftab and directed by Ahmed Kamran, Rah-e-Junoon promises to be a captivating and entertaining watch. This drama undoubtedly piques our curiosity, as it explores the dynamics of a forced marriage, making us wonder how the makers will handle the subject.
The significance of these changes
This isn’t the first time HUM TV has ventured into portraying multi-faceted characters on-screen.
Previously, the infamous and iconic drama serial Parizaad, starring Ahmed Ali Akbar, portrayed the character of Parizaad, a man who grew up being bullied for his dark skin colour. The story follows Parizaad’s years of struggles and rejections in various areas of life and his journey of fighting his low self-esteem. A story of rags-to-riches, the drama left the audience invested in Parizaad’s character and went on to prove how a character-driven drama, with a strong plotline, can win an audience’s hearts if done right. The drama was penned by Hashim Nadeem and helmed by Shahzad Kashmiri.
The shift in focus from female-centric stories to male characters is certainly a welcoming change. This breaks the age-old stereotypes and brings in a fresh perspective from which we see the portrayal of men in our society. It also allows the exploration of male characters in depth, who have previously mostly been seen characterizing roles that are either the typical hero or an evil, toxic, male who is steadfast to create complexities in the life of the female protagonist.
This wave of change also encourages writers to pen down stories of more complex female characters and have stories that delve deeper into complexities of human emotions, feelings, and aspirations rather than following a straight arch story that usually delves into the genre of romance.
