Adeel Afzal questions why viewers glorify ‘Bad Boys’

• Adeel Afzal started his career with the role of Nasaaz in the drama “Parizaad”.
• Earned recognition for his work in “Standup Girl” and wrote the show.
• Recently appeared as a guest on the “Rukhsat” podcast.
• Advocated for the negative ending of such characters, not glorifying them.

Adeel Afzal, a talented actor, writer, and social media content creator, rose to fame with his breakout role as Nasaaz in the blockbuster drama “Parizaad”. He portrayed Parizaad’s close friend, and their on-screen bromance became iconic among fans. Adeel also earned praise for his work in “Standup Girl”, a show he not only acted in but also wrote. Recently, he appeared as a guest on the “Rukhsat” podcast, where he shared his thoughts on society and highlighted the changes he believes are urgently needed.

He addressed why viewers often fall in love with the “bad boys” portrayed in dramas—a phenomenon that continues to spark conversation. He pointed out how audiences gravitate toward intense, morally grey characters. Recently, this trend appeared in “Qarz e Jaan”, where fans favored Ammar Bakhtiyar over the more upright Barrister Burhan. Adeel’s drama “Parizaad” featured a similar character, Behroze Karim, who murdered his wife Laila Saba. Despite his dark actions, fans admired Behroze Karim and were drawn to his powerful presence.

Adeel Afzal said that “it has become a part of our collective psyche that we like a person who has power, who can control and protect. We are taught as a society to admire such a person as he can take control. He gave an example of how people loved the violent characters of Sultan Rahi and admired them because he was a larger-than-life hero who could take action against the status quo. People see hope in such powerful characters. He added that Behroze Karim was a powerful man who people loved because people wanted to be like him, with all the money and power in the world. But such characters should be shown with a negative ending and not glorified.”