Barzakh, Web Series Starring Fawad Khan And Sanam Saeed, To Premiere At The Series Mania Event

The web series Barzakh, starring actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, will premiere this year at the Series Mania event. It is the sole South Asian selection that will be screened during the festival in France in March. The series is a Zindagi original, directed by Asim Abbasi and produced by Shailja Kejriwal.

The online series will be shown as part of the International Panorama line-up. It includes a 12-title competitive portion. It is also nominated for various awards. These include Best Series, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Student Jury Award, and Audience Award. In Barzakh, Fawad plays a single parent who is charming yet filled with regret for what he has lost. Sanam portrays the key female character, who is both mysterious and kind. Barzakh was shot in Pakistan's Hunza Valley. It combines magical realism with supernatural fantasy within a family reunion scene. And deals with themes of love, sorrow, and forgiveness. Talking about the selection, Asim said, “At its core, Barzakh is a family drama. It is framed within a world of supernatural beings and otherworldly events. The genesis of the story stemmed from a personal loss and the fears that came with it. Making me realize that love is indeed eternal and nudging me to write a story about it. The selection of Barzakh at the Series Mania is such a momentous yet humbling occasion for all of us. Not only because it’s a show that’s so close to my heart but also because the selection is such a strong validation of our belief in this story. It is now finding its way amongst the best in the world." Shailja said, “This series was conceptualized during the pandemic. It was when all pre-defined notions of love, life, death, and beyond were going through a seismic shift. Online work, mourning, and celebrations had led to a sort of haze and confusion about what was real. Here lay the genesis of the show which is essentially a family reunion, where the living and the dead are all invited." "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 Khan back. All added up to a show that needed to be made. I'm very thrilled as Barzakh not only finds its title. But also becomes the only series from our region to make it to the Series Mania Festival. We feel its selection at the festival is the perfect first step on the global journey the series is set to embark on," added Shailja.