Pakistani producer Shah Hussain Syed, second left, chats with Kausar Bibi, center, and Robina Naz, right, during the shooting of a scene of tv drama serial "Adhi Bewafai," or "Half Infidelity," in ...

For years, many Pakistani dramas have followed a repetitive formula: a young woman is forced into an arranged marriage with a man who doesn't love her, often facing mistreatment and emotional abuse.

“Pakistani characters are not only heroes or villains. They have shades to them, and that is very human,” says Kumar, who chanced upon a Pakistani drama through a chunky videocassette when she was a ...