Turkish TV drama Ertugrul enthralls some Okhlaiites
A few months ago talks about watching Turkish drama in Okhla could have been termed as madness and nothing else as residents don’t know the language.
But things changed with the Turkish historical TV drama Dirilis Ertugrul (Ertugrul’s Resurrection) set in the 13th century being dubbed in Urdu, finding place on the social media.
Since then, many Okhla residents have been not only talking about the drama but also watching it on the social media.
A few days ago three people of different ages were seen talking about the drama at a local chicken shop with one even bragging about where to watch the whole serial on YouTube.
Some among them even shared his struggle to watch the serial in Urdu. It appears that the show’s popularity has divided many with some saying it is not 100 per cent based on historical fact, but many applauding it for glorifying Muslim heroes.
“The series has been helpful in debunking the barbaric image of Muslim rulers that recent xenophobic Bollywood movies have created,” said Dr Sana Aziz who teaches history at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) as reported by TOI.
“In a way, this series has become Turkey’s own Mahabharata moment on screen,” Aziz said.