top of page
Writer's pictureManahil Ahmed

Turkish Television-Both, relatable and an escape.




had reached a saturation point when it came to television programs; my dilemma was that Pakistani dramas were monotonous and foreign dramas-though I still watched them for the heck of it-were never relatable enough for me to connect to them.

I started watching Turkish dramas as a part of a Turkish language course that I was taking at the time-they are enormous help in the form of language exercises- and I was pleasantly surprised. For a Pakistani viewer, Turkish dramas have all the right things to offer, they have exciting plots which explore a wide variety themes and genres-from crime thrillers to romcoms-something which our local content lacks, However, what serves as the key attraction is the relatability. When I first came across these dramas, I was struck at how the depictions of social dilemmas such as relationships, social classes, cultural restrictions, practices and beliefs, were so similar to ours. Though I had been watching western television series for as long I can remember, I was aware of the fact that due to being constantly exposed to western content, I could understand things like their humor, however that wasn't something that I could experience in my own environment; in contrast, Turkish content would bring about a feeling of belonging because their representations, humor, and social life had immense likeness to our own, in Pakistan. And so, Turkish content provides what Pakistani content at its finest could provide, along side bridging shortcomings such as a lack of variety in plots.

If anyone's looking for any recommendations, I'm your person! I'd suggest watching Ramo or Atesbocegi for starters.



29 views6 comments

6 Comments


26020447
Jun 29

I remember the time Ertugrul came out and everyone was damn crazy about the show. However, for me I got bored after the 30th episode and this happens every time I start to watch a Turkish drama. For me they drag the story too much and I am the person looking for smaller story plots.

Like

Good read!

Like

I can speak and understand Turkish which is why I have recently watched Turkish language films and shows (during the pandemic). I actually think they've done a good job here and there. Especially Diriliş Ertuğrul that gets a lot of hate, but other than the neo-Ottoman ideology of the creators, I don't think it's so bad. Something about sword wielding women just acts as a much needed escape from reality. Ramo is great too. I feel like they represent women better than Pakistani dramas and films do. Not the best representations, but still better. As for Turkish language films, Miracle in cell no. 7 is a beautiful masterpiece that always makes me cry.

Like

Totally agreed turkish dramas are all what a Pakistani viewer like us wants. I had watched a lot of turkish television series so recently i watched some of their movies. Someone recommended me this film called the miracle in cell no. 7 and oh god it was so brilliant I don't even have words to describe it i kept on crying for hours after watching the film it is one of the best films I've watched in all my life

Like

My mom, grandmother and phupos are obsessed with turkish dramas and I never understood why. Then I saw one episode of Ishq e Mumnoo and DAMN. They are everything I was looking for.

Like
Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page