Parchaiyan

About This Drama

Parchaiyan (1976) occupies a landmark position in Pakistani television history as the first drama serial to be broadcast in colour on PTV — a technical milestone that coincided with a production of genuine artistic distinction. Adapted by Haseena Moin from Henry James's celebrated novel The Portrait of a Lady and directed by Mohsin Ali and Shirin Khan, the drama relocated James's story of a young woman's confrontation with the men who seek to define her life to a Pakistani social context, retaining the novel's psychological acuity while giving it a specificity that resonated with local audiences. The cast assembled for the production was among the finest PTV had brought together to that point: Rahat Kazmi, Talat Hussain, and Sahira Kazmi among the principals. Parchaiyan demonstrated that Pakistani television was capable of serious literary adaptation and that PTV's transition to colour broadcasting would not be an occasion for superficiality.