Pakistani Popular Fiction: Scope and The Genre Game

Abstract

This research traces the significance of the genre of Pakistani popular fiction by probing into the thematic context and tropes of popular fiction writings. It explores how the popular fiction of Pakistan not only provides entertainment but it also serves the function of preserving social and cultural values along with educating the people about social issues. It aims to study the contribution of an author in presenting the cultural setup, transferring the traditions, and breaking the stereotypes, particularly through popular fiction. The research also investigates the role of an author in the formation of a brand in the field of popular fiction which explains the game of this genre. The author chosen for depicting the scope of this genre is Farhat Ishtiaq. It further establishes the concept that since Pakistani popular fiction (Urdu digests, novels, magazines) shapes popular thinking and caters to the larger audience including common masses, therefore, this genre should be given more attention in the field of research either by translations or by discovering the different dimensions and their scope in the academic field. Future researchers can elaborate the notion of whether the content of Urdu popular fiction is refined enough to compare it with highbrow literature and can it be given a similar status to that of Pakistani Anglophone literature or not.