Islamabad: Pakistani drama Nashtar is creating plenty of buzz ahead of its premiere, but its latest promotional visual has sent Indian television fans straight back to the early 2000s.
The upcoming drama stars Danish Taimoor and Anmol Baloch in the lead roles. However, it is not their chemistry or the show’s storyline that has caught everyone’s attention. It is the flowing red fabric wrapped around the lead pair.
Fans remember Shweta Tiwari’s iconic serial
Soon after the teaser surfaced online, viewers began comparing it with the original Kasautii Zindagii Kay, which starred Shweta Tiwari as Prerna and Cezanne Khan as Anurag.
The iconic title sequence of the 2001 serial featured Anurag and Prerna dressed in black against a monochrome background, with a flowing red dupatta connecting them. The visual became synonymous with the show and represented the love and distance between its star-crossed couple.
In Nashtar’s promotional visual, Danish and Anmol also appear dressed in black while holding hands, as a large red fabric flows dramatically around them.
Copy or coincidence?
Side-by-side pictures of the two visuals are now circulating online, with users calling Nashtar’s aesthetic a copy of the Ekta Kapoor serial.
The black outfits, romantic framing, dark background and dramatic splash of red make the resemblance difficult to miss. While some viewers criticised the makers for allegedly borrowing the concept, others felt nostalgic after being reminded of Anurag and Prerna.
However, the comparison currently remains limited to the promotional aesthetic. Nothing in the teasers suggests that Nashtar’s storyline resembles Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
About Nashtar
Nashtar features Danish Taimoor as Shah Dawood and Anmol Baloch as Barira. Naeema Butt will also appear in a prominent role as Tamseel.
Written by Maha Malik and directed by Siraj-ul-Haq, the drama has been produced by Abdullah Kadwani and Asad Qureshi under 7th Sky Entertainment. It will premiere on Geo Entertainment on August 21 and air every Friday and Saturday at 8 pm.
Whether it is a deliberate tribute, an inspiration or simply a coincidence, the red dupatta has already made Nashtar one of the most-discussed upcoming Pakistani dramas.
| 
