Over the past decade, the Pakistani audience's taste has changed dramatically, and by dramatically, I mean the audience's attention steadily shifted to television "dramas." Pakistan's entertainment landscape has undergone a noticeable transformation as viewers now prefer television series that have now reached the global diaspora with a remarkable rise.
Lately, Pakistan's box office success has been sporadic, and several films have faded from public memory as soon as they came on big screens. This growing imbalance raises an important question: Why do Pakistani series win the audience's loyalty while the films struggle?
There was a time when Shoaib Mansoor's Khuda Kay Liye (2007) was considered a revival of Pakistani cinema, becoming a major commercial and critical success. The filmmakers tried to follow the same footsteps, achieving varying degrees of success. Being exposed to international cinema that has diverse stories across the genres, the Pakistani audience has now become more attentive to details, demanding stronger character arcs and socially relevant storytelling with a slow-burn emotional investment.
Successful Pakistani dramas and web series have exemplified this trend. Some of the prominent names are Parizaad (2021), Raqeeb Se (2021), Churails (2020), Aik Jhooti Love Story (2020), and Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum (2024). Their success accentuates a far more lasting audience impact if given time to connect with stories and characters.
Stronger storytelling in a series format
Long-form narratives in Pakistani series and dramas allow deeper character development, which is one of the primary reasons series thrive more than films in this region. Within a limited runtime, films tend to condense the narratives while the series enjoy the luxury of unfolding complex stories in several episodes and even extended seasons.
Series have more diverse narratives. They tend to be closer to the everyday Pakistani culture and daily life elements, aiming to explore complex social and emotional themes. Issues such as gender dynamics, family tensions, class divides, and contemporary societal pressures are discussed at length in series, giving viewers time to absorb each and every detail and resonating emotionally at the same time.
Achieving sustained emotional connections with balanced pacing makes it easier for the audience to connect with characters and storylines. Reviews of weekly episodes stir social media conversations and prolonged engagement with friends, creating a sense of attachment with everyone around the viewers. Most films struggle to engage them in such a way, despite extensive marketing campaigns where the film stars themselves travel around to connect with the audience, trying to accomplish something impossible in one meeting.
Audience accessibility and viewing habits
In a country where meeting everyday expenses due to high inflation has become a daily challenge, audiences resist buying unreasonably expensive cinema tickets to watch films. Cinema attendance has significantly decreased over the past decade, which has led to the unfortunate but not surprising closing of 46 cinemas across Pakistan.
Accessibility plays a major role in why Pakistani series outperform films in terms of audience engagement. Tickets are expensive, hence, the audience can enjoy series from the comfort of their homes. Full episodes of dramas are more easily available on YouTube without any subscription fees or time constraints.
The audience finds it more convenient to watch those episodes online at once, soon after the weekly episodes' instant releases online, fitting perfectly well into their daily routines. The roots of accessibility have given rise to flexibility, resulting in binge-watching. YouTube lets the audience pause the episode whenever they want and watch multiple episodes at their own pace.
By comparison, a single-ticket film experience demands fixed time commitment and a one-time emotional payoff, which feels less accommodating in a fast-paced digital world. Personally, I've grown accustomed to speeding up videos on YouTube, a habit shaped by consuming fast-paced content in a digitally driven lifestyle.
Furthermore, speaking of unaffordable ticket prices, the very presence of cinemas across the country reflects an open form of demographic discrimination. Nearly 70 percent of Pakistani cinema screens are concentrated in three major cities: Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. People from only these three cities cannot decide the fate of a film, knowing that the kind of content produced in these films is tailored to certain tastes, lifestyles, and sensibilities of these cities.
Risk-averse film industry and repetitive content
Lollywood pictures need solid hard work for winning audience's trust back. They need a quality product first and market development later to come up with a standout feature film. Repetitive and familiar storylines, heavily based on romantic comedies, and star-driven vehicles do not succeed.A research journal article, published in 2024, investigated the general public's perception of the decline of the Pakistani film industry. The results of the survey indicated that the audience blamed "repetitive storytelling" and "production quality" as two of the major factors contributing to the current scenario.
Pakistani cinema tends to have a risk-averse mindset. Several directors have already assumed that the audience won't understand a certain storyline and the film should be made otherwise, which steals the actual "excitement" of the film. The Pakistani audience has become far smarter after watching international content, particularly Hollywood and the Tamil industry's intelligent plot setups. The Pakistani genres that have prevailed previously tend to dominate the film landscape, but have become monotonous. The audience does not feel excited or surprised by new releases.
The directors' cautious approach has snatched the variety away from the film content, leading to a noticeable lack of genre diversity in Pakistani films. Compared to television and streaming series, Pakistani cinema has largely confined itself to a narrow creative spectrum with repeating faces. Genres like social drama, crime, thrillers, horror, and experimental narratives have so much experimental space that is still left untapped.
Budget allocation and production priorities
Film production costs are another monumental challenge for big Pakistani productions if experimentation needs to be done. The fear of trial and error is closely tied to costs associated with marketing. Unlike series, the financial risk is spread over multiple episodes, whereas films ask for substantial upfront investment with no guarantee of return, given the ticket prices and cinegoers' reluctance.The economic pressures discourage filmmakers from taking risks or staying on the same track with the same actors who, in their opinion, can attract audiences back to theatres. In Pakistani cinema, the absence of bankable stars such as Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Humayun Saeed often translates into a film's brief and uncertain theatrical lifespan.
People get bored with the faces but want new stories; it doesn't matter if new faces give a considerably good performance. Here, I cannot hold myself from comparing Usman Mukhtar's short film Gulaabo Rani (2023), which was released on YouTube, and a star-studded theatrical film, Love Guru (2025), helmed by a renowned director, Nadeem Baig. Shot in just four days with a not-so-famous cast, Gulaabo Rani won eight international short film awards even before its release in Pakistan.
On the other hand, Love Guru gained mixed reviews, mostly filled with criticism of the predictable script and character development. Factors like accessibility, diverse narrative and genre exploration, and the risk-taking nature of the filmmakers are all involved in the success of Gulaabo Rani when compared with a theatrical Eid release of Love Guru.
The main point here is to show that audiences are willing to embrace unfamiliar faces and smaller productions when the story feels fresh, emotionally engaging, and sincerely made. Lollywood's overdependence on star power at the expense of storytelling under celebrated directors and weak scripts cannot convince the audience to step into theatres once again. Underwhelming reception of a high-profile film is precisely a core problem in Pakistani cinema; therefore, giving more edge to series and dramas.
Audience trust and expectation gap
The flashy trailers of Pakistani films seem to promise a grand cinematic experience, but the final product fails to meet the audience's expectations. The viewers often feel misled and become reluctant to go back to the cinemas, showing a considerably large expectation gap and a lack of audience trust.
I remember I was in awe of the drama Jackson Heights (2014), which talked about the emotions and problems of Pakistanis living abroad. It elaborated on how even good people become selfish in hard times. Strong performances amplified the narrative's power, resulting in a massive impact on the audience. Until today, I clearly remember its story, the characters, and some of the scenes that hit me hard.
In comparison, Jawani Phir Nahi Aani (2015) was released a year later, a film packed with colorful song-and-dance numbers and big-name actors. But honestly, I was neither moved by the performances nor the story made any genuine attempt to make any connection to my heart. The result? I am unable to recall a single scene that lingered with me.
Famous actors, glamour, music, and spectacle might attract initial attention, but they fail to sustain audience interest if the script is weak. Audiences increasingly prioritize story over star power, which dramas and series have consistently delivered. This mismatch further widens the trust gap.
Role of digital platforms and streaming services
How about I tell you I watched the entire series Jackson Heights on YouTube in one go? Digital platforms offer on-demand, affordable (sometimes free, like YouTube), and easily accessible content. Financial and logistical burden of going to the cinema, when you know, there will hardly be any value, is gained from dramas and series anytime, anywhere.
A more interesting factor is that Pakistani dramas could be enjoyed by anyone; it doesn't matter if they belong to urban or rural areas. People other than the three cities of Pakistan can be entertained for hours without having to spend thousands of rupees for a single viewing experience.
Digital platforms democratize access in a way cinema does not. The widespread availability of content for the viewers gives them a sense of inclusivity, relatability, and accessibility. The drastic devaluation over the years has led to a diminished involvement from the masses, along with the content of domestic films that seems predominantly irrelevant to the local audience.
Readily available quality content online has made competition for local productions even more unfavourable. Pakistani dramas showcase strong cultural values and intimate glimpses of everyday lives with validated feelings that make them highly lauded, surpassing Bollywood productions in perceived quality across South Asia. Audience expectations rise, and intolerance for anything mediocre in local filmmaking has amplified.
Cultural relevance and realism
Often compared with their popularity with Bollywood movies, Pakistani films are considered less popular in South Asia. While digging deep into general public opinions, I came across a Reddit thread discussing the dilemma, as some mentioned the Pakistani industry is an "infant". Giving it more time might change perceptions. We have some of the best movies, like Khuda Kay Liye, Ho Mann Jahan (2015), Bol (2011), Cake (2018), Verna (2017), and Kamli (2022), and so forth.
The majority of them do look like telefilms, but this is the unique edge of Pakistani films that sets them apart from the rest of the Asian cinematography. What works in Indian culture, such as item songs and revealing clothes, is not indeed the true representation of Pakistani films. None of the names that I just mentioned has over-the-top extravagance- just pure storytelling with realism.
Pakistani cinema tried to scout other genres too, but didn't succeed. 2024's Umro Ayyar -- A New Beginning was a sci-fi film that, despite having impressive visual effects, didn't make a home in the audience's hearts. In contrast, 2022's The Legend of Maula Jatt made a brilliant attempt as a soft reboot of the 1979 Lollywood film, Maula Jatt.
Why did the film work? Due to its high-production value, stunning visuals, strong storytelling, epic action, and some hard-hitting scenes, like a decapitation shot in the very beginning. No wonder the film's release was delayed due to an overdue censorship board approval; however, the young director, Bilal Lashari, thoroughly capitalized on star power here. The reimagining of a cult classic with modern grit worked well with well-developed characters and realistic-fantasy aesthetics. The result? The film resonated deeply not only with the Pakistani audience but also dazzled international filmmakers as well.
Deadline also reported it to be "the most expensive film ever to come out of Pakistan", breaking the typical gandasa stereotypes because it was "vigorously touted as the catalyst that will revive the long-languishing fortunes of Lollywood." However, the gandasa served as an iconic 'weapon of choice' for the protagonist, keeping the nostalgia of the original film intact, just like Thor's indomitable hammer.
What Pakistani cinema can learn from series
Pakistani cinema has a remarkable opportunity to grow by adopting storytelling techniques focused on thematic depth and character development. The filmmakers should move beyond "elite" fantasies and shun shedding light on wealthy, cosmopolitan lifestyles that do not resonate with the average viewer.
Just like television series, cinemas should embrace cultural authenticity. A clear example has been the record-breaking The Legend of Maula Jatt. Forced item songs and dragged storylines do not offer any meaningful connection with Pakistani reality.
No need for traditional villains; successful Pakistani series like Parizaad and Mr and Mrs Shameem (2022) recced deeply flawed but purely "human" characters, making them more complete. Emphasis on emotional realism is missing in Pakistani films as viewers are unable to connect with plots that validate their own feelings.
Concentrate on substance over style; addressing uncomfortable issues like sexual harassment in series, Darr Si Jati Hai Sila (2017), creates a strong, lasting impact, which is nowhere to be found in Pakistani films. Dramas address uncomfortable realities smoothly yet punchingly.
Understand the "suturing" effect. It is a psychoanalytic film theory concept where the film weaves the viewer carefully into the film's or series's story world, leading to their emotional investment, as if the story is speaking to them. Spectators start seeing themselves in the characters, signalling a stronger bonding due to empathy with the characters on screen.
If Pakistani cinema adopts the narrative discipline, cultural authenticity, and emotional sincerity like dramas, it can reclaim its relevance. The curtailed artistic value can be revived and can deliver a roadmap that could resonate nationally and internationally.
Echoes is a new opinion column on film and television from the perspective of a writer based in Pakistan.