TLI Staff
New Delhi: Fawad Khan-Sanam Saeed starrer Barzakh to have world premiere at Series Mania festival in France
Asim Abbasi’s next titled Barzakh starring Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed in lead roles is set to make an International Premiere at the prestigious Series Mania festival in France.
Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed the popular jodi of popular show Zindagi Gulzar Hai will be next seen in Churails director Asim Abbasi’s next titled Barzakh which will also have its global premiere at Series Mania festival in France come March.
A Zindagi original, Barzakh is the only selection from South-Asia this year at the festival.
This series that boasts of a stellar ensemble cast, will see Fawad playing the role of a single parent, who is charming but ridden with guilt for what he has lost. Sanam plays the central female character who is mysterious as well as compassionate.
The web series will be screened as part of International Panorama line-up, a 12-title competitive section and is also nominated in several categories such as Best Series, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor as well as the Student Jury award and the Audience award.
“At its core, Barzakh is a family drama framed within a world of supernatural beings and other worldly events. The genesis of the story stemmed from a personal loss and the fears that came with it, making me realise 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 which is now finding its way amongst the best in the world,” director Asim Abbasi said in a press statement.
Held annually at Lille in France, the Series Mania festival, since its inception in 2010, has been instrumental in recognizing and curating the best series across the world. The festival brings together the best screenwriters, directors and artistes together under one roof.
“This series was conceptualised during the pandemic 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”, says producer, Shailja Kejriwal.
Shot in picturesque Hunza Valley in Pakistan, Barzakh blends together magical realism and supernatural fantasy within a family reunion setting, and deals with themes of love, loss and reconciliation.