Ramadan dramas have long been airing on Pakistani channels. However, they have been trending and gained followership after the iconic Suno Chanda. Arsal (Farhan Saeed) and Jia (Iqra Aziz)’s chemistry got love from followers worldwide, including India and Bangladesh. The drama was aired during the Ramadan of 2018, and a second season was aired in the Ramadan of 2019.
After the second season’s finale was wrapped up, Saima Akram, writer of the serial, was set to write another comedic series for Ramadan for 2020. But the shooting was delayed because of COVID-19. This year, viewers are in for a treat with two Ramadan serials airing from Hum TV and one from Geo Entertainment.
From the creators of the characters, Arsal and Jia of Suno Chanda came another month-long serial: Chupke Chupke, which airs on Hum TV.
The Characters
Chupke Chupke features Aiza Khan and Osman Khalid Butt as the main leads, Maniha aka Meenu and Faaz aka Faazi.
Popular comic developer Arsalan Nasser (Hadi) also debuts in this drama with reel love interest Aymen Saleem (Rameesha). Arsalan’s debut is one of the main factors of the hype of the serial. He calls his followers “CBA army,” who have been following the serial for supporting Arsalan.
The drama features a complex family: two families of a grandfather (Nawab Sahab) who married twice. The characters are all children and grandchildren of his two wives who live in neighboring houses.
Danish Nawaz is the director of the serial who has previously directed Ishq Tamasha and Khaas along with many others.
Did it live up to the expectations?
Initially, the drama did garner a lot of interest since it had a star-studded cast. Suno Chanda’s fans were looking forward to it to see if the writer’s new work would live up to their expectations. Similarly, the CBA army or Arsalan Naseer’s followers started watching the drama because of Arsalan and ended up loving the chemistry between the lead couple.
The drama began with a complex story that confused the audience. But since the story has unfolded, it has gotten a huge following and became the most-watched drama serial this Ramadan, with hashtags #chupkechupke trending on Twitter. It has more than 48 million-plus views on YouTube.
However, Suno Chanda’s hardcore fans are divided. Some state that it is a bad take on a joint family masterpiece like Suno Chanda. They are demanding a third season of Suno Chanda and are disappointed by Chupke Chupke, its story, and its cast.
Many others are loving the new story and are loving Meenu and Faazi’s chemistry. A popular Facebook page conducted a pill in which 70% of viewers said they liked Meenu and Faazi’s couple better and Arsal and Jia’s couple in Suno Chanda.
“Which Brand?”
The drama is a treat for clothing brands as well! Aiza Khan’s dressing in the show is discussed every day. The brands that she is wearing and the styles she is carrying are discussed by women of all ages over social media.
Al-Karam, Generation, and Ego remain the top brands that the actress wears in her role as Meenu. Aiza has also brought back pieces that were considered old, like tie and dye shirts, once again in fashion. It shows the power of the influence of her brand endorsements.
On the one hand, her dresses are all the hype; many criticize that Aiza Khan is not fit for the role. Some say that she is too old for the character that she is trying to portray. However, Aiza’s fans state that Aiza’s superb acting fits the role alongside her colorful dressing.
A Second Season?
The drama is a light comedy, and the audiences love the jokes on the show. Every day, social media is filled with memes from the drama. The audiences especially relate to Aiza’s take on studies. Students find themselves connecting to her struggles with studies and her comedic take on it, which shows that it is a drama that truly depicts a slice of life approach which people appreciate.
The story is quite interesting and has beaten the other two Ramadan dramas on air these days: Taana Baana and Ishq Jalebi.
It is a drama different from the usual portrayals of issues in Pakistani society, which gives a refreshing feel during Ramadan. Let’s see how the drama unfolds and whether we will be seeing a second season next year like Suno Chanda.
