‘Suno Chanda’ broke records over the country during Ramazan. The drama was an overnight hit, and looking back it’s thought-provoking wondering what exactly entailed its success. There are multiple factors, and while I’m not suggesting that each drama emulates similar tropes, (even though we see many similarities across narratives) it’s worthy to take a leaf out of ‘Suno Chanda’s’ book and understand why it hit home for so many. After ‘Yakeen Ka Safar’ honed out on-screen duo Sajal and Ahad, there was a significant hiatus for drama fans to follow in suit with another iconic reel couple. ‘Suno Chanda’ then came forth, and unexpected duo Farhan Saeed and Iqra Aziz surprised us all with their profound chemistry. That’s just one very small part of the kernel, so let’s have a little dive into the ingredients behind the drama.
1. An on-screen couple that is gasoline and matches: Arsal was the short-tempered yet endearing hero and Jia the wide-eyed untamable heroine
They’re barely perfect, both emblems of chaos, destruction, and absolute mayhem: making both of them all the more human, lovable and relatable.
2. Intimate scenes that are fairly intermittent, so it’s not really so much as a shoving down your throat
Intimacy on-screen allows us as the audience to feel more connected to the characters at hand. It’s not rocket science, it’s just common sense. Some dramas opted to not really show any, and while that’s also fine – it doesn’t hurt to indulge in basic PDA now and again 🙂 Arsal playfully teasing Jia was an utter delight.
3. It was a daily show, squeezed in at the perfect time during Ramazan after iftaari
‘Suno Chanda’ easily became a delightful binge-watch, mostly because of its peak slot just after you had gobbled down delicious khaana and slumped into a couch potato as you succumbed into a food coma.
4. There were comic elements that weren’t slapstick, rather witty and intelligent with laugh-out-loud dialogues
Punjabi was used as a tool to reel in more humor, with dialogues from various protagonists achingly hilarious, for example, Arsal’s mother Shahana (played by the very talented Nadia Afgan).
5. It wasn’t pure comedy, rather there was a lot of heart with many emotional odysseys present throughout
Characters were flawed and damaged, and we saw their transition as they learned how to deal with life – becoming all the more relatable. There are moments of real connection.
6. ‘Suno Chanda’ isn’t left open-ended, and although we all indulge in the idea of our beloved characters and storylines that could potentially live forever, all good stories must end
The episodes were fairly short and didn’t fall for the usual hallmark or trope of dramas that go on forever with endless and painful dragging.
7. The ensemble cast were all utilized in the perfect dosage on-screen, from supporting characters to the more mainstream ones – everyone was honed according to their personality
It’s not easy trying to craft out a laudable narrative with such a big cast, but the drama did a very admirable job of it. Various sideline plots surfaced throughout, but they never shrouded the overarching premise of the show.
8. A big, bustling family where everyone is overtly involved in each others’ lives yet you not just root for them, but you want to be a part of it too
Those who had big families could familiarize, and those who didn’t could only dream of such messy, volatile households to be a part of.
9. A very contagious and warm OST sung by the male protagonist himself
Well, while we can’t possibly expect all our actors to sing the soundtrack of their dramas, Farhan really won by penning the OST himself and singing it too, as he serenaded on-screen love Iqra aka Jia. Also, the song was beautiful, addictive and very contagious *cue chorus.*
10. The show was definitely your comfort food because it was feel-good
As each episode ended, you’d crave more, mostly because it just made you incredibly fuzzy inside and was generally lighthearted and easily digestible. Many dramas are a little heavy to inhale, with incredibly hard-hitting topics that involve a lot of thought to sit through.
11. There is constant confusion, constant dilemma and you’re never given a moment to sway your eyes off the telly
Apart from not dragging out the show horizontally, we see a vertical, staunch pillar of continuous problems the characters have that keep you hooked – there isn’t just one twist, there are multiple tangled twists that remain bundled up until the very end, unravelling sharply so you’re not given a chance to doze off.
What did you think of ‘Suno Chanda?’