New Pakistani play captures nation's imagination

A new Pakistani drama series, "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" (Life is beautiful), recently lit up small screens and set new records in the country's television ratings.
According to TV critics, the large number of viewers watching the drama raised its ratings to 9.5 points, the highest any series has ever had since Pakistan's independence.
The soap opera is based on an Urdu novel written by Umera Ahmed, a well-known story-writer.
She began her writing career by penning down long and short stories for
local magazines, popular among women for their simple narratives and appealing, complex family tales.
Later, she was asked by a number of private channel owners to write stories for their networks. Umera was hugely successful in the television industry and was able to work with big names in the business.
Speaking to local newspapers, Umera praised the director's efforts, saying she is proud to be associated with the play.
Zindagi Gulzar Hai offers a discourse between competing ideas of morality, faith and social class.
Producer Momina Duraid said the storyline was superb. She applauded the director's expertise, saying that she had done her best to make the production stand out.
Duraid also lauded the hard work of the actors and other members of the
production team.
Director Sultana Siddiqui said she had not been on television for 10
years but she immediately accepted the offer and was pleased that her work was well-received.
Singer Ali Zafar said he had accepted the offer to sing for the play. It was the first time he had sung for a private drama series and expressed both surprise and pleasure at the response the play was drawing from audiences.
Veteran actor Javed Shaikh said he was in Dubai attending a private party when an Indian friend told him the big news.
Pakistani dramas were hugely popular in Pakistan and neighboring India in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Andhera Ujala, Dhoop Kinaray and Tanhayyan were watched by millions and are still fondly remembered by viewers in both countries.
Experts say the last 90 days have shown that Zindagi Gulzar Hai tops the competition with a total of 2,620,000 page views daily. They hope that the new drama trend in the terror-ridden nation will help in the revival of the country's television industry and offer solution to problems through creativity rather than force.