Pakistani dramas in 2024 taught us that love is about commitment, attention and sticking with each other through the good and bad.
In 2024, Pakistani drama lovers were served with shows that not only explored interesting dynamics, but left us with the kind of romantic standards that other man will be able to fulfil. We’re so happy to witness that rather than engaging with the same old regressive stereotypes surrounding saas bahu fights, more dramas this year began to actively follow their audiences and the kind of romantic tropes they love, and met our expectations beautifully. And now the result is that a lot of us ladies are not going to be able to settle until we find a man who is as down bad for us just as the way the men in these dramas are for the women in their life.
‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’
Gone are the days when women were told that they must settle for a toxic man who mistreats them, abandons them after a fight and demands that they give up their financial independence to sit at home because a wholesome drama like ‘Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum’ showed that real love is about helping each other achieve their dreams. We all fell hard for the relationship between Sharjeena and Mustafa because they both met each other at their worst, and yet found strength and peace when they fell in love. Sharjeena had been abandoned by her ex-fiance after he fell for a richer woman, and Mustafa was the outcast of his family because of his inability to find a job or to be as smart as his elder brother, Adeel. But after meeting his wife, Mustafa worked incredibly hard to prove that he could become the man of the family, while also showing that true love is never about how much money you make but how well you understand your partner’s needs and stick with them through the tough times.
‘Ishq Murshid’
This Pakistani drama literally hit it out of a ballpark because a man who was so down bad for a woman that he was willing to give up his privilege for her? He loves her so much that he was okay with pretending to be a poor man and live in scanty conditions only in the hopes that she might fall in love with him, and even when it meant leaving his own family? ‘Ishq Murshid’ was a rare example of when Pakistani dramas truly understood that audiences don’t want toxic romances, they want a healthy relationship between a woman who doesn’t sacrifice her independence for a happy marriage, and a man who recognises her fire and refuses to tame it. Shahmeer and Shibra’s love story may have finished but please please we’re hoping we get another beautiful love story like this next year.
Read more: Ishq Murshid is the best example of the internet’s favorite trope: golden retriever and black cat
Duniyapur
If you loved Game Of Thrones and needed a desi version without any of the toxic male leads, then ‘Duniyapur’ is the perfect Pakistani drama for you. Although this show is only 14 episodes in, but what has drawn fans into the relationship between Shahmeer and Ana is how the man is once again so down bad for the woman, that he is willing to go against his father and his legacy for this.
This is real romance and sexual tension.#Duniyapur #AnaMir pic.twitter.com/VWud9xbLmM
— Riaa Upadhayay (@riaaupadhaya) December 18, 2024
Although both main leads were from opposing tribes who were competing to take over Duniyapur, what made Shahmeer so special is how rather than following his father’s footsteps and choosing violence, he prioritised his love for Ana even if it meant that the two had to escape to a new town and start all over again from scratch without the support of their families.
Read more: In 2024 Pakistani dramas gave us some intense ‘rivals to lovers’ storylines
