After the news broke that Mahira Khan and Nina Kashif ‘s miniseries ‘Baarwan Khiladi’ will be aired on Express TV, fans are thrilled to be able to watch the show on TV for many reasons! Streaming a web series on TV means securing a larger audience for your project and thus, more people to appreciate your craft. Since Baarwan Khiladi is already on the TV Map, we give you 3 more web series that might be able to take on the masses, add value (and take the game up a notch) for TV channel creators – competition is after all, a great way to better yourself, right?
1. Mrs. & Mr. Shameem On ZEE5
A joint venture of India and Pakistan that truly stands by the definition of “Divided by politics, united by Art”, ‘Mrs. & Mr. Shameem’ is a one of a kind project. It received love and appreciation for its superlative story-telling and the show received appreciation and acceptance from both sides of the border.
‘Mrs. & Mr. Shameem’ streamed on 11th March 2022 on ZEE5. A love story at its core, the series traces the journey of two characters ‘Umaina’ (Saba Qamar) and ‘Shameem’ (Nauman Ijaz) who break gender stereotypes while traversing a journey of friendship and companionship. The series is produced by Kashif Nisar and Misbah Shafique, ‘Mrs. & Mr. Shameem’ is a distinctive love story of a pure bond graduating from friendship to growing old together and everything in between.
Mrs. and Mr. Shameem will make you rethink your core values, social conditioning, relationship dynamics, and even question how we view marginalized communities amidst us – in fact, it will bring the conversations home. It would perhaps, be hard to screen the drama exactly as it was made for Zee5 (keeping audience sensitivities in mind), but the show must, in fact should be screened to the audiences where the messaging needs to reach, and stay!
The cast includes Naumaan Ijaz as Shameem “Shammo”, Saba Qamar as Umaina “Ummi”, Gul-e-Rana as Bay Ji, Faiza Gillani as Rukhsana, Amna Malick as Wajeeha, Samia Butt as Salma, Ali Azad, Saqib Sumeer, Irfan Khoosat and others and is written by Saji Gul and directed by Kashif Nisar.
Read More About The Series Here
Watch the trailer for yourself:
2. ‘Phaatak’ Streamed On Pichkur TV
Second web series on our list is’ Phaatak’. The 5 episode series, addresses drugs and their procurement in multiple strata of society. In an under 30 minutes first episode, the show takes us through a series of events that open a window into the life of Mani – a drug dealer who finds himself entangled in a world he might have hoped to be part of, but then, maybe not!
It tackles the problems of drug abuse and their rapid spread in our society with a stark reality, a resounding clap and clarity and without mincing words, (or images). Perhaps this will be the success factor for OTT platforms like Pichkur TV – the new kid on the OTT block, that can propel unfiltered content onto our screens, stories that speak the truth and narratives that resonate with a youth embroiled in multiple quicksand scenarios from drugs to dating apps, depression, teen suicide, plagued with countless doubts and then, told to believe in God!
Drug abuse and its rapid spread in our society, ranging from the small time drug dealer on the street to privileged corridors of power and extravagance – a common, binding force that engulfs all stratas of society, kind of like Covid. The narrative defintely has mass appeal as well as social messaging that is not only eye openeiong, but creates awareness about a soicla ill that’s eating at the inners of a society like a deep, dark secret. The content might be a bit too morbid for the masses, should, in fact, must come with an age rating for mature adults, but also must be shown in order to create awareness and deliver stories that need to be told.
Disclaimer: Phaatak review is based on the first episode of a 5 episode series on Pikchur TV
The cast includes Saleem Meraj, Sarmed Aftab Jadraan, Aamna Ilyas, and others.
Read More About The Series Here:
3. ‘Just Married’ By Teeli
Following the story of a young couple, ‘Just Married’ definitely deserves a slot on TV! The web series has two seasons and it also won Best Web-series of the Year at the Pakistan Digital Awards. The web series was produced by Teeli and sponsored by Tapal.
Teeli’s latest web series, Just Married, explores young love and marriage in Pakistan and how different it is from what is shown in dramas. It highlights the lighter side of marriage and how not everyone has to deal with an evil mother-in-law or phupo ki beti who wants to steal your man.The six-episode series explores the newly married lives of Zain and Aiza, a couple who live by themselves in an apartment in Karachi by choice. It focused on the often mundane problems couples go through — fighting over losing your keys, not being Instagram perfect, nosy neighbours and prioritising promotions over babies. It first aired on YouTube in January 2021.
Credit: Dawn Images
Young audiences, especially newly married couples are said to have departed from the TV drama market place because of lack of relatability. They do not see themselves in many if any, of the stories projected onscreen – could shows like ‘Just Married’ entice them back to watching? When the narrative resonates with you, you just might do it. What say you?
The full cast of ‘Just Married’ includes Faraz Farooqui, Sukaina Khan, Beena Chaudhary and Shazia Gohar and is written by Gul Zaib Shakeel and is created by Murtaza Alizai.
Watch The Trailer Here:
Would you want to watch these series on mainstream TV channels? tell us what you think.
