Veteran PTV actress Samina Ahmed— a stalwart of Pakistan’s entertainment industry for nearly five decades— has voiced her support for saas-bahu dramas, framing them as a tool for women’s empowerment rather than mere shallow entertainment.
Rising to fame with iconic PTV classics, Ahmed remains one of Pakistani television’s most respected figures, with a stellar portfolio including Waris, Aahat, Kis Say Kahoon, Family Front, Aangan, Suno Chanda, Ghisi Pitti Mohabbat, the Barat series, and the record-breaking blockbuster Baby Baji— whose dramatic death sequence earned widespread audience acclaim.
Recently appearing on Begum Begums— a Canada-based YouTube show hosted by Nariman Ansari, daughter of Bushra Ansari— Ahmed addressed the frequent criticism leveled at Pakistani saas-bahu dramas. She pushed back against claims that the genre is repetitive and lacking in substance, noting that such criticism rarely comes from viewers— who continue to tune in in huge numbers— and instead often originates within the industry itself, from those who dismiss household-focused stories as low-value.
Ahmed highlighted that saas-bahu dramas have been pivotal in transforming opportunities for women in entertainment. She recalled that early in her career, she was often the only woman on set, surrounded entirely by male crew members; today, women hold roles across every department, from makeup and wardrobe to production, direction, and acting.
She stressed that the stories in these dramas mirror real-life struggles faced by women— including cruelty, resilience, and the fight to stand up for oneself. “These are real stories,” she emphasized, adding that not everything depicted on television is fictional.
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