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Barzakh is a 2024 Indian fantasy drama television series directed and written by Asim Abbasi. The series stars Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed in lead roles. The six-episode series which premiered on 19 July 2024 was produced by Waqas Hassan and Shailja Kejriwal for Zindagi.[1]
On 16 June 2024, the network ZEE5 announced the release date of the series.[3]
Release
Its first episode premiered on 19 July 2024 on Zee5 and the YouTube channel of Zee Zindagi.[4]
Reception
Critical response
Shilajit Mitra of The Hindu praised Barzakh for its "achingly, unabashedly artful" approach, noting how it intertwines past and present through its characters' stories. He highlighted Fawad Khan’s portrayal of Shehryar, mentioning his "wintry handsomeness with a comic cynicism." However, Mitra criticized the series for losing its "sustained mysticism" in a "psychedelic freak-out" sequence.[5]
Hafsah Sarfraz of DAWN Images commended the series' high production value and storytelling, highlighting the stunning visuals of the Hunza Valley and the strong performances of Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, and Salman Shahid. She described the series as having "the right levels of lighting, colours and hues to such perfection."[6] Conversely, Mahwash Ajaz of Khaleej Times appreciated the artistic ambition and beautiful cinematography, describing the frames as "like Renaissance paintings coming alive." She praised Fawad Khan's performance but criticized the pacing and overuse of allegories, noting the series' slow pace akin to "live theater" and hoping for more cohesion in future episodes.[7]
Backlash
Within two weeks of its release, Barzakh received severe criticism over its LGBTQ-themed content from its viewers in Pakistan.[8] The homosexual love angle was not taken lightly by the audience and it was decided by the production to remove the series from YouTube. An official statement was issued to remove Barzakh from YouTube Pakistan on August 9, 2024.[9][10]
