Everything to know about Fawad Khan-Sanam Saeed's upcoming drama 'Barzakh'
Zindagi Gulzar Hai stans assemble! The countdown to witness Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed's much-awaited reunion has officially begun. Their upcoming drama Barzakh will have its world premiere at the Series Mania Festival in March. Notably, Barzakh is the only South Asian series that has made it to the festival this year. Here's all you need to know about the Asim Abbasi directorial.
Here are the categories the project will compete in
Barzakh has been in the news for a long time, particularly since both Saeed and Khan are top-billed stars in Pakistan. The series will premiere in the International Panorama section, where it will be in contention with about dozen other titles from around the world. Barzakh will compete in the best series, director, actress, actor, student jury, and audience award categories.
What issues will 'Barzakh' touch upon?
Per Variety, "The series is a family drama centered around an elderly man's quest for love. It explores intergenerational trauma between fathers and sons. The narrative is framed within a fantastical world of supernatural beings and otherworldly events that reveal the chasms between life, death, and rebirth." Interestingly, in Islam, the term denotes "a place separating the living from the hereafter (afterlife)."
What does the show mean for Abbasi?
Speaking about his inspiration, Abbasi told Variety, "What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to have a soul, and does it survive us? How does one find hope and joy in a perpetual state of limbo? These are the central concerns of Barzakh." Abbasi has previously directed Zindagi network's first Pakistani original Churails and the film Cake, also starring Saeed.
Not a simple drama, but embellished with magical realism, too
Shailja Kejriwal has produced Barzakh. Expressing her elation at the show's potential global recognition, she said, "Set in the Hunza Valley with its myths and legends, Asim Abbasi's quirky, funny, deeply philosophical and layered writing, a dollop of magic realism and bringing Fawad back...all added up to a show that needed to be made." Kejriwal has earlier produced Qarib Qarib Singlle, Madaari, among others.
Shot on real locations in Karachi, Northern Pakistan's Hunza Valley
The series was shot in real locations in Karachi and the picturesque Hunza Valley in Northern Pakistan. It spanned over five months and was dubbed "the most challenging but also the most rewarding" experience of Abbasi's life. The Series Mania Festival will take place between March 17 and March 24 in France. The show is expected to land on the Zindagi network soon after.
