Exclusive: Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed’s Barzakh to premiere on Zindagi’s YouTube on July 19

We finally have a release date for Barzakh, Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed’s highly anticipated web series for Zee Zindagi! The series will be available on Zindagi’s YouTube channel and ZEE5 on July 19.

Barzakh has been written and directed by Asim Abbasi, who was behind Zee Zindagi’s hit series Churails and Cake, which was Pakistan’s 2018 official entry for Oscar consideration.

Along with the release date announcement, Zee Zindagi has also released six artistic posters for the show.

The show has its premiere at the prestigious Series Mania Festival in France in 2023. Apart from being Abbasi’s second venture with Zindagi, the show marks the reunion of Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan after the end of their wildly successful Zindagi Gulzar Hai in 2013.

Barzakh follows the poignant journey of a 76-year-old reclusive man who invites his estranged children and grandchildren to his remote valley resort to celebrate an extraordinary and unconventional event — his wedding with the ghost of his first true love. This emotionally profound narrative makes viewers think about life’s mysteries, what happens after death, and the deep feeling of love that ties us together.

The series unfolds against the backdrop of the picturesque Hunza Valley, showcasing its ethereal beauty.

Alongside Fawad and Saeed, the six-episode series stars Salman Shahid, M Fawad Khan, Eman Suleman, Khushhal Khan, Faiza Gillani, Anika Zulfikar and Franco Giusti, among others.

Produced by Shailja Kejriwal and Waqas Hassan, with cinematography by Mo Azmi, Barzakh is a collaborative effort of visionary talents in the industry.

The series explores themes of mental health, postpartum depression, generational trauma and gender inclusivity through a gripping narrative that challenges societal conventions. It also delves into the profound role of folklore in the complex tapestry of human existence, prompting viewers to contemplate life’s nuances.

“All storytellers dream of moments like this in their career, where they are allowed to run wild. Barzakh is just that — me running wild through this forest of fear and hope and magic — to create something a little bit spiritual and a whole lot of trippy,” said director Abbasi. “It’s a story about love and faith. About humans desperately looking for connections and meaning. Fragile, broken souls, looking to hold on to whatever they can, to make sense of this big, bad, beautiful thing called life. Thanks to Shailja and Zindagi, Barzakh has truly been a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

“And whilst I hope the six hours of this series thoroughly mesmerise and entertain audiences; more than that, I hope that the ‘Land of Nowhere’ changes a small part of their heart, in an unexpected way. The way it changed so many of us, involved in its making.”

“A wedding invite. A dead bride. A family reunion, where ghosts arrive! Concepts like these make you revisit the reason why you chose to be in this profession over everything else,” said Kejriwal. “One can play safe, throw data and focus groups at the creator, or become a facilitator with irrational beliefs. Barzakh for me is that story where the entire cast and crew came together to be a part of something unique, fresh, and slightly mind-bending.”

She praised Abbasi for creating “a surreal world where ghosts cry milky tears carrying the weight of unresolved emotions on their backs; a world where fairies come to take troubled young girls to their meadows beyond the mountains, where young love blossoms under apricot trees, and promises are made for a ‘happily ever after’”.

“Leo Tolstoy once said, ‘Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way’. At its core, Barzakh is about an estranged family reuniting for a wedding. It is unique because this reunion brings together the living as well as the dead. It is elevating because at the end of it all there is a ‘happily ever after’!” she said.

Fellow producer Hassan described the project as a milestone, not just for him but for the many who were involved in a project of this scale and caliber. “I feel like working with an international production partner not only broadened my horizons but gave Pakistani filmmakers and thespians a platform to prove to the world that they can match global expectations and quality. From building literal villages to creating lifelong friends and communities; from building roads to paving a narrative that goes beyond the norm or normal storytelling, Barzakh has it all. I can proudly say that Team Barzakh poured their heart and souls into this project, and I can’t wait to share it with the world.”