The Summer I Turned Pretty is a coming-of-age romantic drama television series created by Jenny Han for Amazon Prime Video, based on her novel trilogy of the same name. Lola Tung stars as Belly Conklin, a teenager caught in a love triangle with brothers Conrad and Jeremiah, played by Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno.
As the third and final season currently airs, it makes me wonder: what if the series were recreated in Pakistan?
The writer of the series would be none other than Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar. Why? Mr. Rehman is known for crafting powerful love triangles, such as Meray Paas Tum Ho with two leading male actors (Humayun Saeed and Adnan Siddiqui) and one female lead (Ayeza Khan). Even in Pyare Afzal, though not a traditional love triangle, there was a subtle hint of it (Hamza Ali Abbasi, Ayeza Khan, and Sohai Ali Abro).
Now, coming back to our story, since it’s a teen romance drama, we cannot expect Humayun Saeed to play Conrad Fisher; he would be a bit too old for that role.
Starting with the youngest brother, Jeremiah Fisher (originally played by Gavin Casalegno), the second love interest of Belly Conklin, among the rising stars of the Pakistani industry, I feel Khushal Khan would make the perfect Jeremiah Fisher. No one else could do it better.
As for Conrad Fisher, Belly’s first love interest, we have a tie. To give you some context: Conrad is a character who speaks more with his eyes than his words. His silence, sadness, and depth define him. For this role, I believe either Fahad Mustafa or Wahaj Ali would be the perfect choice. Both actors have the emotional range required to bring Conrad to life.
Finally, for our female lead, Belly Conklin (played by Lola Tung), I see another tie. The choice would be between Maya Ali and Hania Aamir. Either of them could embody Belly’s innocence, charm, and growth throughout the story.
With these casting choices, the Pakistani version of The Summer I Turned Pretty would bring a refreshing touch of local storytelling minus the usual phupo and saas drama.
I hope you agree with our picks for the leads!
