Zard Dopehar

Zard Dopehar (Urdu: زرد دوپہر, transl. The yellow afternoon) is a fourteen episodes Pakistani television melodrama serial, first aired on PTV Home in 1995. It portrayed rise of a bald, middle-class Lahori politician, Malik Mehrban Ali (which at that time, was universally accepted as depiction of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif).

Zard Dopehar
Title screen for Zard Dopehar
Genre	Political drama Telenovela
Based on	Politics of Pakistan in 90s
Written by	Shahid Nadeem
Directed by	Shahid Nadeem
Starring	Samina Peerzada Samiya Mumtaz Madeeha Gauhar Salman Shahid Nadira Naima Khan
Opening theme	"Zard Dopehar"
Composer	PTV music
Country of origin	Pakistan
Original language	Urdu
No. of episodes	13
Production
Producer	PTV Lahore Center
Running time	40 minutes
Original release
Network	PTV Home
Release	1 January 1995 (1995-01-01) – 1995 (1995)

History

Zard Dopehar was written in spring 1993 by Shahid Nadeem. The drama was not given permission to be produced by-then government of the PLMN. The PPPP's government allowed the drama to be produced, after winning the elections. It was aired on PTV Home in 1995.^[1]

Plot

Story of the drama revolves around a popular industrialist Mehrban Ali from Walled City of Lahore, who starts his political career as a councilor. But soon with help of flattery of hidden characters and his cleverness, he becomes minister. But then his downfall begins when his political skills starts to become his hurdles. And ringmasters (hidden characters) becomes exasperated of him.^[2]

Another story in the drama is of Saira Begum, sister of Mehrban Ali. Her brother doesn't allow her to marry a university fellow, in fear of division of the inherited property. In the drama, women activism can be seen.^[3]

Cast

• Shahid Nadeem, director^[4]
• Anmol as Parveen
• Enver Sajjad as Mastan
• Madeeha Gauhar as Saira
• Nadira as Laila
• Naima Khan as Shahida Nabeel
• Samina Peerzada as Zetoon
• Samiya Mumtaz as Sanyya
• Zahid Qureshi as Akhtar
• Salman Shahid as Nabeel
• Ismat Tahira as Tariq's aunt
• Shujaat Hashmi as Malik Meharban Ali
• Ghayyur Akhtar as Police officer
• Dildar as Worker
• Altaf ur Rehman as Judge
• Meher-Un-Nissa as Mehra Begum
• Uzra Butt as Dadi
• Aurangzeb Leghari as Officer
• Asim Bukhari as Javed