Pakistani TV Veteran with Cross-border Appeal

For years, political hostilities between India and Pakistan have disrupted entertainment exchange, but rarely have restrictions been as sweeping as those triggered by the Pahalgam attack fallout, in April 2025. The latest wave of bans targeted Pakistani shows on YouTube, blocked streaming access to cross-border dramas on Netflix and Amazon Prime, and even temporarily disabled Instagram accounts of Pakistani actors and peace activists. The clampdown came at a time when Pakistani dramas have been enjoying immense popularity across the border in Panjab up to Delhi, on YouTube and on Facebook. They have not just built massive fan bases there but are also engaging with radical themes. A standout example is Tan Man Neelo Neel (Body and Mind Covered in Bruises)—a three-part mini series that aired August 2024 on the privately owned Hum TV, produced by veteran television pioneer Sultana Siddiqui. Each installment tells a stand-alone story. Each is bound by the shared theme of how far-right radicals terrorize individuals and the communities they inhabit at large and the limitations of the state to give justice or security to the victims. Since she launched Hum TV in 2005, Sultana Siddiqui, now in her late 70s, has used television as a platform for storytelling from a progressive bent of mind, offering a nuanced portrayal of Pakistani society through deeply grounded characters. Zindagi Gulzar Hai (Life is Beautiful) in 2012 was a hit in India. The series shows a picture of Pakistan different from the narrative seen in the Indian context. Its popularity, fuelled by social media, created a demand for Pakistani content in the Indian market. Its lead actor Fawad Khan went on to become a Bollywood heartthrob but was banned in India along with other Pakistani artists following the 2016 Uri attack. The Pakistani film Maula Jatt has been stalled. The series are part of a long line of Hum TV productions that have challenged social norms, like Udaari (Soaring, on child sexual abuse) and Dar Si Jaati Hai Silah (Silah Gets a Bit Scared, on domestic violence).