Pakistani dramas feature a lot of stereotypical characters. We usually focus on the female stereotypes that come up, however, male characters are often extremely stereotypical. So, here is a complete and thorough list of how men are portrayed in Pakistani TV dramas.
1. The ‘Hero’
This boy drives a motorbike and dresses all ‘cool’. He’s the one all the girls are after but let’s be honest, he’s a total ass. He has no manners and thinks he’s the shit.
2. The shy boy everyone makes fun of
There’s always one guy who’s really quiet and soft-spoken. Of course, this is the guy who’s targetted by his own friends and family throughout the show, but in some instances, he’s the one who comes out on top in the end.
3. That one guy who is the joker
This guy is the comic relief throughout a show. He knows when to crack a joke and how to relieve the tension for a situation. Some shows keep this character simple and one dimensional, and some add some depth; sometimes it happens that the joker is the one who is hurting the most, but this is pretty rare.
4. The angry young man
A lot of drama writers portray the ‘young adults’ in the show as people who are just angry all the time. They’re angry because of the limited freedom they’re given or how they perceive their family controlling them. They’re often seen having outbursts of anger and emotion, so there’s just a lot of shouting happening.
5. The effeminate man
A lot of Pakistani TV dramas feature a man who isn’t typically masculine. He has some feminine habits because of which he’s bullied or made fun of by other guys on the show, but he’s able to connect with the female characters better.
6. The extremely rigid father
Fathers are shown in two extreme lights. One in the rigid father. This is the type of abbu that forces his daughters to wear a burqa at a young age and in some cases, just have daughters stay at home and not go to school.
7. The very laid back father
Now, of course, this doesn’t mean liberal in any sense. This type of TV abbu is the total opposite of the rigid father. He loves his children extremely and is often seen protecting his kids from their mother and her rules and regulations.
8. The drama queen
This character thrives on being the center of attention and will throw fits just for the sake of getting some eyes.
9. The hopeless romantic
There’s always that one character who is extremely dil phenk, literally falling in love every 5 minutes. He has a list of shairs and one-liners memorized and can whip them out whenever he feels he might need them.
10. The immature one
The title really gives it all away; this is one character who, physically is maybe in his late 20s or whatever, but mentally he’s either a teen or a kid. His baatein are immature, and he doesn’t understand how society and socializing works.
11. The lecturer
There’s this one person in all Pakistani TV dramas who is very self-righteous and needs to tell everyone around him that they’re in the wrong and that he’s the one to follow.
What do you think of this list? Is there anyone we missed out on?