Pakistani fans waited years to see their favorites, Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, on screen. They couldn’t have been happier to see them sharing the screen together after their iconic drama “Zindagi Gulzar Hai.” Still, things took a surprising turn when even the love for the favorite superstars couldn’t stop people from pointing fingers at the project.
Barzakh has an ensemble cast, and with all the masters of the trade together, it felt like this project was headed to win people’s hearts! Unfortunately, Barzakh missed that mark with a great margin as it gained popularity for all the wrong reasons! Alongside Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, other big names included Ayeza Gilani, Eman Suleman, Khushhal Khan, Aniqa Zulfiqar Ali, Salman Shahid, and Franco Gost. Barzakh was a ZEE5 project uploaded on YouTube with a vision to make it available for the Pakistani audience who were impatiently waiting for the much-hyped series. The series made its launch on July 19, and shortly after, the queer love depiction stirred a storm among Pakistani audiences!
Barzakh captivated the audience with its first look and teaser as it was a new, thrilling story! The supernatural element added to the fascination, and the breathtaking views of Hunza Valley added to the suspense element with a serene, quiet ambiance! Since it’s not a spoiler anymore, let Vogue Vocal describe the storyline in simple words! Barzakh is a dramatic portrayal of supernatural realities, love, life, and death. The 76-year-old unusual wedding invitation brings his family together to witness the union of two souls as he marries a ghost! Sounds exciting, right? It sure was if it wasn’t for the severe backlash!
Barzakh could have been the biggest hit with this storyline enthralling the audience across borders. The series even highlighted important issues like generational traumas and mental health, yet its homosexual love angle caused Pakistani fans to lose their minds. With a bold start to the series, the depiction of obscenity and adultery shocked Pakistani fans.The homosexual kissing scene intensified the reaction, sparking an uproar over the visuals. Pakistani industry figures questioned the necessity of certain storyline elements in the project, even though it was produced for ZEE5, an Indian platform.
Whenever a controversy arises, people look forward to the stance of their favorite celebrities. Barzakh was one of those issues that divided the industry! While some came and expressed their concerns and disapproval over the content, many celebrities and influencers supported the project, stating it is an international project and doesn’t have to comply with Pakistani rules and traditions. The point made sense, but the heated debate continued! Among this chaos, some celebrities like Maria B. took their disapproval up a notch by filing a complaint in court against the project. Maria B has always expressed solid feelings and a firm stance over LGBTQ issues in Pakistan and didn’t hesitate to speak her heart this time as well.
While Fawad Khan issued no public statement, he turned off his comments on Instagram in response to Barzakh’s backlash. However, Sanam Saeed, in a recent interview with Indian Media, spoke about the love she received for this project and how she would love to work in India! She expressed gratitude for this project and explained that this is not a series that one could simply binge-watch; one has to watch it with focus to understand what’s happening!
As the criticism kept piling on, the makers finally decided to remove Barzakh from YouTube. The makers issued an official statement that they respect the sentiments of Pakistani fans and, therefore, decided to remove Barzakh from YouTube Pakistan on August 9, 2024. The show would still be available for streaming globally. Barzakh attracted around 6 million views in its initial days, but the show was removed after the finale episode aired.
Actors like Zhalay Sarhidi came forward, expressing that “ban culture” isn’t going to solve any problem, and this hype is giving the show more attention than it would have actually received. After the announcement of the show’s removal, Asim Abbasi issued his official statement saying that despite his love for this work, he thinks that it is imperative that the safety of the artists comes first. However, he added, “Stories never di!”
Aima Baig disapproved of the need for such content and expressed her opinion, saying, “Barzakh was not what our generation wanted to see!” calling it a desperate attempt for attention seeking! Senior actor Rubina Ashraf urged everyone to relax with the hatred towards Barzakh as this is international content, and one can’t deny that this reality is now a part of society. This statement for truce didn’t settle well with many others, including Mishi Khan, who harshly criticized the series and anyone supporting it!
Despite the backlash, heavy criticism, and hatred, the Barzakh team didn’t disown their project or issue an “apology.” Recently, Zee Zindagi’s Shailja Kejriwal remarked that the people of Pakistan have shocking stats about what they watch on YouTube and are now objecting to Barzakh content! Vogue Vocal believes that this will set a precedent for Pakistani actors to pick their international projects wisely!
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