Turkish TV series are big hit in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

After gaining sweeping popularity in the Middle East, South Africa and surprisingly in South America, action-packed Turkish television series “Diriliş: Ertuğrul” has taken over Pakistan.

So much so, that Prime Minister Imran Khan recently ordered that all its five seasons be dubbed in Urdu, to make it easy for the general public to watch and understand.

Often described as a Turkish “Game of Thrones,” the serial tells the story prior to the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. It illustrates the struggle of Ertuğrul Gazi, the father of the empire’s first leader.

In September, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia have agreed to jointly fight the rising global trend of Islamophobia, mainly in the West. The three countries have also decided to launch a TV channel dedicated to confronting the challenges posed by Islamophobia and make films on Muslim’s heroes.

Filmmaker and producer Jamshed Ahmad Khan said the Turkish unit works very hard and does not compromise on technology. Pakistan’s upper class is obsessed with modern dressing and vying for liberal storylines.

“There are many other reasons also behind the popularity of Turkish TV dramas. From acting to set designing to storylines, and above all the liberal attitude of characters, is what attract our youth in particular,” Khan said.

He admitted that Turkish dramas have affected Pakistan’s own TV industry. It has also taken viewership from Indian soap operas as well.

“With the arrival of cable networks, our TV channels and private producers, our drama industry took a beating from Indian counterparts. With now Indian soap operas becoming boring with same set of faces and never-ending story lines, Turkish dramas have come as a whiff of fresh air.”