High on cinematography, weak in drama: Barzakh ends leaving a lot to be desired
Three weeks ago, when I watched the first episode of Barzakh, I was excited and hopeful. The plot was interesting and intriguing, the cast was stellar, their performances was par excellence and the cinematography…. Oh my God! The cinematography! I could go on and on about it. But somewhere on the way, I felt like Barzakh set the bar too high with the first episode and the rest of the show and how the story unraveled failed to live up to expectations.
Don’t get me wrong, everything I appreciated just now was just as good, but the plot was a concoction of bizarre themes which left the audience confused. There were times I felt like a lot was going on, which is fine because the storyline is always the narrator’s right and they can choose to tell as many stories as possible in one plot but what left viewers disappointed was that there were also lags in the story, requiring the viewer to pay more attention than a normal drama.
As an art production, work like this is one for the books but for a light evening drama to watch while having dinner, it can be too much to consume and may often require more attention that one wants to give on a Tuesday night after work.
Asim Abbasi is a fine storyteller, and this is perhaps one of his most experimental and personal works, exploring themes of love, loss, generational trauma, emotional baggage, human insecurities and efforts to not follow negative patterns in one’s family, themes that impact all of us at some level.
Compelling delivery
The cast has done complete justice to the plot; delivering scenes with the conviction and strength required. In the first episode’s review, I mentioned Sanam Saeed’s craft was compelling, and her narration was strong, and I maintain that as the series ends.
Fawad Khan was brilliant throughout the series but there were some scenes where he stunned the audiences with his craft. Particularly, the conflict scene between Fawad Khan and his son was compelling and explored various layers of relationship that we don’t get to see on Pakistani television very often.
Similarly, in the last episode, the scene where he is talking to the ghost of his wife while sitting on the mountain showcased the brilliance of two actors; one experienced and one rather novice, both delivering their acts at the same level and conviction. Similarly, his exchanges with Saeed, particularly in the last episode, made many of us think about our lives, our aspirations and where the cycle of life is leading us. These scenes and many other throughout the series reminded us all why Fawad Khan is the artist that he is, always setting the bar too high from his craft.
The legendary Salman Shahid who played the role of Jaffer Khanzada delivered a mesmerising and deeply layered character. While many of his scenes in the series made us see him in a new light, one of the scenes I’ll remember for a while was his exchange with his son in the last episode, showing human vulnerability at its best.
Eman Suleman was stellar and having seen her in this role, I cannot imagine anyone else portraying that role to this level of perfection. She made her mark in the first episode that she starred in, making postpartum depression look as real as it perhaps is in real life, which spoke volumes about her talent as an actor.
Arham Syed, who play’s Fawad’s son, showed his vulnerability as a child in the scene with the supernaturals in the last episode to a level that made it seem almost real on screen. His questions to the supernaturals were poignant, something that we all wonder when we lose a loved one.
Last but definitely not the least, this was Saeed’s strongest performance. A different role that showed her wearing multiple hats as an actor, she managed to deliver it to perfection while adding value and matching the energy of every opponent. Her dialogue delivery was compelling in the first episode, and she maintained that throughout the series.
A plot leading to controversy
Every storyteller and director has the right to tell whatever story they want to tell. They have the right to explore themes they want to, showcase what they believe in and stand by it.
However, when a storyteller is exploring themes that are against people’s faith, they know that their work is going to lead to controversy, which, in this case, I am sure Asim Abbasi and the entire cast were well aware of. We can’t argue whether the controversial themes were necessary or not because that will always be the Abbasi’s choice but when you tell a story to a specific audience, its only wise to respect their sentiments. That’s obviously again the storyteller’s choice but either way, when a story is told to the world, the world gains the right to share their sentiments, which is exactly what happened in Barzakh’s case.
Barzakh was an experimental series for a Pakistani audience. Exploring everyday themes like parenting and the burden of caregiving, love, loss, death, afterlife and the balance of universe, the series could have been easier to consume for the general public. All in all, Barzakh was a consuming watch, one that left me more in awe of Fawad and Saeed as actors and inspired me to book a trip to Hunza in the fall!