Ertugrul Ghazi, Halime Sultan top Google searches in Pakistan

With the global success of Turkey’s most effective soft power, dramas featuring sweeping love stories or sultans and their sword-fighting, the country has amassed worldwide praise from celebrities such as the likes of Cardi B who can’t seem to get enough of the acclaimed shows.

Turkish dramas have been dubbed into dozens of languages and garnered millions of viewers, but no country has gone further than Pakistan in its adoration for the shows, and especially Resurrection: Ertugrul, which promotes the values of Islam, whether it be signing deals with its stars or producing dolls and costumes.

Hence, it comes as no surprise that Google’s annual list of top 10 most-searched people in Pakistan includes a Turkish beauty.

Bombshell actress Esra Bilgiç, who starred as Halime Sultan in the hit TV series Resurrection: Ertugrul, ranked the ninth-most searched personality in Pakistan in 2020.

The Turkish actress won the hearts of millions of Pakistani fans soon after the smash-hit series started airing on PTV with Urdu dubbing.

1. Marvi Sarmad

2. Uzma Khan

3. Joe Biden

4. Alizeh Shah

5. Hareem Shah

6. Minahil Malik

7. Falak Shabir

8. Asim Azhar

9. Esra Bilgiç

10. Sarah Khan

The 28-year-old beauty signed a slew of deals with famous Pakistani brands, including a mobile company and cricket team, and appeared in several commercial ads in the South Asian country this year.

The annual look-back released by the world’s top search engine also showed that the globally-acclaimed Ertugrul drama outshone the second most-watched Pakistani serial, “Meray Pass Tum Ho,” and topped the list of the most-searched dramas in the country.

Often described as the Turkish Game of Thrones, the series depicts 13th century Anatolia and tells the story before the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. It illustrates the struggle of Ertugrul Gazi, father of the empire's first leader.

Ertugrul Gazi surged to fame in Pakistan when Prime Minister Imran Khan endorsed the series and said watching it would promote "Islamic history and ethics" among the country's youth.

1 Ertugrul

2 Mere Paas Tum Ho

3 Money Heist

4 Bigg Boss 14

5 Mirzapur Season 2

6 Deewangi

7 Mera Dil Mera Dushman

8 Kuruluş: Osman

9 Ehd-e-Wafa

10 Joker