The 10th Adab Festival concluded in Karachi on Sunday after two days of literary discussions, cultural activities and musical performances.
Among the closing-day sessions, the most attended was a panel where Junaid Khan assessed audience trends and creative choices in drama.
Speaking during the discussion titled Mirror to Society: The Journey of Pakistani Film and TV Dramas, Khan compared family serials to universally loved comfort food.
He described routine soap operas as “biryani” — easy to make, widely consumed and designed for uncomplicated entertainment.
He argued that this preference reflects viewer habits rather than creative limitations, noting that high-viewership dramas often rely on familiar plots and predictable emotional arcs.
Khan also pointed to a shift in how families watch television, saying the tradition of collective viewing has declined due to changing routines and on-demand platforms.
This, he said, has influenced the kinds of stories that gain traction, as audiences increasingly consume content individually rather than as a household.
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While his fellow panellists discussed technology, commercial pressures and shifting social values, Khan highlighted a growing gap in creative experimentation.
He said broadcasters often underestimate audiences by prioritising lighter, easily digestible narratives in prime-time slots.
He added that viewers still value sincere storytelling and strong character development when it is offered.
The panel featured actors Hina Khawaja Bayat, Arshad Mehmood, Ali Khan, Ayesha Toor and Misbah Khalid, moderated by Khalid Anam.
Their discussion joined a festival programme featuring book launches, children’s activities, workshops and poetry, enriching Karachi’s cultural scene.
The festival ended with satire and social media sessions, contemporary discussions, and Saif Samejo’s performance concluding the event.
