RE-WATCHING YOUR FAVOURITE OLD DRAMAS CAN HELP WITH LONELINESS
Nostalgic and rose-y thoughts have been the foundation on which most of us have made 2021 tolerable for ourselves. It could easily be reasoned that the one thing has helped us through this year’s Covid-19 pandemic – other than internet, ofcourse – has been the active recalling of carefree times. Days where we could openly mingle and hug our friends and family. This year has brought the planet to a socially-distanced standstill, making new memories with our nearest and dearest has been (very) few and far between.
Revoking nostalgic memories or watching movies or dramas that an individual has attached memories to is a great way to boost happiness and positivity.
Therefore, H! Pakistan brings to you a list of adored Classic Dramas from our and our family’s childhood!
Khuda ki Basti (1969)
This is one of the oldest and greatest dramas in the history of Pakistani television. Khuda ki Basti had an unconventional storyline focusing on the prevalent social issues of society, and was telecasted twice (the second time in 1974 at the insistence of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto – it was his favorite play!). To top that, Khuda ki Basti was also introduced on the syllabi of drama academies in Pune, India and around Europe.
Dhoop Kinarey
Written and directed by two of the most acclaimed women in TV, Haseena Moin and Sahira Kazmi, Dhoop Kenarey is still considered one of the best Pakistani dramas. A fast-paced story of doctors working together in a hospital in Karachi, lead actors Marina Khan and Rahat Kazmi quickly became a favorite on-screen couple (the old school equivalent of Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan)
Ainak Wala Jin (1993)
s The first of its kind, Ainak Wala Jin was a wonderful mix of real life, fantasy and science fiction. A genie from Caucasus Mountains is sent to Earth to get his eyesight fixed and that’s when all the adventure begins! It quickly became a household favorite, as did the characters Hamoon Jadugar, Zakoota Jin and Bill Batori. In fact, the cast was invited to perform in front of Princess Diana and the patients at Shaukat Khanum Hospital when she visited Pakistan in 1996.
According to Dr. Wing Yee, a senior psychology lecturer and researcher for nostalgia at the University of Winchester:
‘Nostalgic narratives typically feature personally meaningful and somewhat rosy recollections of our childhood or significant life events like birthday celebrations and weddings. It helps to boost our mood, self-esteem, self-continuity (the sense of connection between our past and present selves), optimism, and meaning in life.’
This, according to new research compiled by the British Film Institute and Google Pixel 5, can be applied to re-watching our favorite films and TV shows, too.
Taleem-e-Balighan (1956)
The greatest tele-theatre to be aired on Pakistani TV, the beauty of this political satire and its brilliant script is that it’s timeless: no matter when and where you watch it, it will always be applicable to the current political scene and will also have you in hysterics. A true masterpiece written by the comedy king Kh. Moinuddin.
Alpha Bravo Charlie – 1998
Alpha Bravo Charlie was a sequel of the mini-series Sunehry Din but this drama gained much more popularity as well appreciation than its prequel. Alpha Bravo Charlie was another entertaining, meaningful and simply beautiful drama which showed how different young boys join the armed forces and grew with each other. The leading lady of this play was also its main attraction since her character was unconventional and appealing.
Humsafar
Humsafar was the most gripping play of its time, it also had an unmatched fan following. It was the story of two people who are forced to get married, they fall in love and the rest of the drama covered the ups and downs in their relationship. Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s on-screen couple as well the fast pace of this show in the first few weeks won the viewers over completely.
The Baraat Series – 2009 to 2012
The Baraat Series titled Kis Ki Aye Gi Barat had 4 seasons which were thoroughly entertaining. Each season covered the wedding of a particular character. This series was the perfect combination of comedy and drama. Some of the characters were an instant hit and continued to be the highlight of every season.
During the pandemic, more people have reported a feeling of loneliness like never before. ‘When we feel lonely, it is natural to use nostalgia to regain a sense of social connectedness and the nostalgic reverie helps enhance the perception of social support,’ says Dr Ying. ‘Similarly, when we feel that the continuity of our lives is disrupted, we use nostalgia to regain footing and rebuild a link between the past self and the current self.’ In a sense, we can turn those feelings of loneliness into motivation, too.
The question is, which one to rewatch first? Because it’s good to hold onto those glowy, rose-tinted nostalgic memories wherever you may find them right now.