'Farar': Zindagi-Applause Entertainment unite for gripping series starring Sarwat Gilani
Pioneering Indian studio, Applause Entertainment, and Zindagi, the Indian-Urdu language channel owned by ZEE5 Global, are partnering for their first project, titled Farar. Featuring Joyland fame Sarwat Gilani in the lead, this series is poised to make its debut at the prestigious 14th edition of the Chicago South Asian Film Festival on September 23, per Variety. Here, we delve into the details of this intriguing project.
Why does this story matter?
Applause Entertainment and Zindagi have embarked on a mission to bring forth authentic South Asian narratives, deeply rooted in the tapestry of contemporary life. Spearheaded by Sameer Nair, the Managing Director of Applause Entertainment, and Shailja Kejriwal, the Chief Creative Officer at Zee Entertainment, known for greenlighting Pakistan-themed shows such as Dhoop Ki Deewar and Qatil Hassenaon Ke Naam—this partnership will share South Asian storytelling globally.
'Farar' will explore women's lives in modern Karachi
Farar will delve into the lives of three women whose friendship is both their sanctuary and their vessel of secrets and aspirations. The women are Sabrina, a widowed hairdresser in a complex relationship; Tanya, an aspiring actor battling body image issues; and Huma, a determined track and field runner facing marriage pressures. Actors Gilani, Mariam Saleem, and Maha Hasan will aim to break taboos and preconceived notions about South Asian culture with their characters, per Variety.
Meet the team behind 'Farar'
A dynamic collaboration between New York-based director Mehreen Jabbar—known for her work on Jurm—and writer Rida Bilal—renowned for Zakham—has given birth to Farar, a six-part series, which is set against the backdrop of Karachi, Pakistan. Jabbar in a statement said, "In a time marked by divisions and jingoism, it is truly heartwarming to see the convergence of two of the world's largest South Asian nations, uniting in celebration of the art of storytelling."
'Idea is to cross-pollinate as much as possible': Kejriwal
Earlier in an interview with Variety, Kejriwal had stated, "In some stories, we will take artists from India and Pakistan, but maybe shoot in London. The idea is to cross-pollinate as much as possible and hopefully, get artists to collaborate even though they can't shoot in each other's countries." This highlights how filmmakers from Pakistan and India are finding common ground through this collaboration, allowing them to craft narratives in neutral countries.
