Ertugrul Ghazi: A Pakistani’s Perspective

Ertugrul Ghazi and Halime Sultan

Dirilis: Ertugrul/Resurrection Ertugrul, known as Ertugrul Ghazi in Pakistan, has taken the nation by storm, racking up millions of views on YouTube and becoming the number one watched content on Netflix in Pakistan. The epic series about the father of the founder of the Ottoman Empire has rightly become extremely popular with Pakistanis looking for a change from the awful dramas being broadcast on every TV channel which either deal with divorce, second marriage, marital problems, or love.

Ertugrul Ghazi’s appeal to Pakistanis is very natural. It deals with the establishment of the Ottoman Caliphate, war with the Crusaders, and the Mongols, and political maneuvering as well as family struggles within Ertugrul’s tribe, the Kayis. The narrative seamlessly shifts between the main story and multiple subplots, introducing new characters and surprises along the way to keep things fresh and interesting

The action isn’t bad either. While I wouldn’t put it at par with the best in television, it’s pretty close. Swords clash and arrows endlessly fly throughout Ertugrul Ghazi’s entire storyline. A Hollywood stunt group called NOMAD was apparently used for the fight scenes, and it shows. Apart from the obvious fake blood that spills now and then, the fights are pretty well done, and the action gets considerably better as the show progresses, especially in its second season.

The Worst of Ertugrul

The show isn’t perfect of course. There are certain problems with the series that become more prominent as the show goes on. The first and most obvious is too much of a good thing. Certain elements of the show are repeated too often and become annoying after a certain point. These include:

• The liberal use of music in almost every scene. The soundtrack of Ertugrul Ghazi is beautiful, but its continuous, never ending use drains it of some of its potency. The Pakistani cut of the show is dubbed in Urdu and so the background score is dampened so this may not be as big a problem here.
• The liberal use of slow motion during the fight scenes. The action, though well choreographed, is rife with slow motion. Whenever axes, swords, spears, shields, arrows, etc clash, there is often a shift to slow motion. This sometimes drains the scenes of their thrill.
• Certain elements that are introduced as novelties are repeated too often. While I won’t give away any specifics, certain plot elements have a habit of being repeated too often in Ertugrul Ghazi. Again, their novelty wears off as a result.

The Best of Ertugrul

Despite its apparent flaws, Ertugrul Ghazi shines in so many places that its hard not to appreciate it.

• Nearly everyone in the cast is great in there roles. This includes new faces playing supporting characters as well as veterans of the Turkish film and television industries.
• The story rarely loses sight of what the end goal is and nearly every sub plot, character motivation, and twist in the story is believable and well executed.
• The characters are fleshed out and complex, not black and white. It’s hard to emphasize how rare and refreshing this is in Eastern media, specially in Pakistan. We’re not used to seeing characters with shades of grey, specifically in historical roles. In Ertugrul Ghazi, whether it’s a Crusader, a member of the Seljuq Sultanate, a member of the Kayi tribe or even Ertugrul himself, there are complexities in character all around. Very few characters are shown to be all good, all the time. They make mistakes, act impulsively, fail, and despair.
• The series regularly talks about Turkish and Islamic history. Legends and recorded historical events are often relayed through older characters and meant to serve as inspiration during times of despair. For anyone unaware of Turkish history before Islam, or even those unfamiliar with Islamic history may find this very appealing.
• The series regularly puts women center stage of the conflicts going on. Very rarely are women simply talked about for their beauty or in the context of love. Women are shown engaging in war, politics, tribal matters, trade, medicine, etc. The best part is that the showrunners don’t make this out to be a big deal. While obviously, the 13th century tribal setting isn’t shown to be a feminist paradise, women are rarely confined to housework and child rearing.
• Religion is very prominently featured as a driving force in Ertugrul’s journey. Tales of the Prophets (PBUH) and their struggles are often brought up during hard times. Religious counsel is also given throughout the show relating to inner peace and the struggle to find contentment.
• Subtle scenes of character development sneak up on you. Even supporting characters that are apparently just there to fight alongside the protagonists are treated to their own stories, albeit those stories are fleshed out much later.

Hence, there is much to love about Ertugrul Ghazi, despite the obvious flaws. There is an endearing quality to the show that persists throughout its long arc. Pakistan can learn a lot from its execution of such complex subject matter.