9th February, Mumbai: Filmmaker Asim Abbasi’s next, starring Fawad Khan – the actor who has charmed the country and the world with his path breaking performances, gets its title Barzakh. Produced by Shailja Kejriwal, the show that has already created high anticipation among the viewers, will have its Global Premiere at the illustrious Series Mania festival in March 2023.
This series that boasts of a stellar ensemble cast, sees Fawad playing the role of a single parent, charming but ridden with guilt for what he has lost. Sanam plays the central female character who is mysterious as well as compassionate. Barzakh is the only selection from South Asia at the festival scheduled to be held in Lille, France in March. 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.
Thrilled at the selection, director Asim Abbasi said, “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.”
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”, signs off the 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.