Ertugrul star Engin Altan says Pakistanis like well-crafted stories

The star of the Turkish epic on Ertugrul Ghazi, Engin Altan, believes that the show has been a big hit in Pakistan because Pakistani and Turkish audience love the same thing: well-crafted stories.

In an interview with BBC Asian Network’s Noreen Khan, Altan said “the Turkish series had been successful at conveying touching sense of drama to the audience”.

This ramazan Resurrection: Ertugrul was aired on PTV on the prime minister’s request and became an instant hit. If that’s not enough, the show also broke the world record for the most subscribers on YouTube.

According to the actor, they knew the show would do well from the very beginning but had no idea that it would get so much attention around the world. “We are grateful,” he said.

Talking about how the show had given the country’s tourism a boost, Altan said that “yeah we know for a fact Turkish popularity increased after the TV series which is great news. We are really glad”.

So what does the leading man love about Ertugrul Ghazi? “I love Ertugrul Ghazi’s vision, strength, purpose in life and all of his values. He is an admirable person,” he said. “I am really happy that I could portray his life.” To his fans, he said: “I hope you like the show. Please keep watching.”