Shahrezad Samiuddin

1. Udaari

Although it will forever be associated with the controversial theme of child abuse, the plot line stoked discourse on other burning issues such as class, parental pressures and caste. Bushra Ansari’s outspoken Sheedan and Ahsan Khan’s villainous Imtiaz stole the show in this uneasy, but necessary reality tale that featured strong performances by a veteran cast.

2.Mann Mayal

Proof that a warped plot that swings from bad to worse can keep audiences on tenterhooks, as they wait to see what new depths of inanity the storyline will touch every week. The so-bad-it-was-good plot made up for lead couple Hamza Abbasi and Maya Ali’s complete lack of chemistry.

3. Dillagi

It may have featured oldies Humayun Saeed and Mehwish Hayat, but there was nothing jaded about veteran writer Faiza Iftikhar’s strong characters. Refreshingly fearless and feisty, Dillagi’s Anmol (Hayat) towered above the waves of forgettable, disempowered TV heroines that are becoming hard to tell apart.

4. Gul-e-Rana

This twisted tale of love and hate caught audiences’ imagination with its emotional roller coaster of a plot. Hum TV scored a winner with gorgeous on-location shoots in Murree and Nathia Gali, and powerhouse performances by doe-eyed Sajjal Ali in the titular role and the talented Feroze Khan as bad boy Adeel.

5. Mein Sitara

Set in the golden era of the Pakistani film industry, TV One’s Mein Sitara shattered through the saas-bahu clutter with a classy period offering. A throwback to the times when stories were stories instead of a series of plot explosions between ad breaks. This premium production melded real-life stories of Subcontinental stars, threw several grey characters into the mix as it charted the fortunes and failings of Lollywood star Sitara, played to perfection by Saba Qamar.

Shahrezad Samiuddin is a pop culture junkie and a scriptwriter. shahrezadsamiuddin@yahoo.com