New Delhi, July 19: ‘Barzakh’ delves into the complexities of love that transcends life and explores themes of gender inclusivity, mental health, and generational trauma. The series, set in Pakistan’s Hunza valley, features stellar performances by Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan.
You fear the love you don’t understand- Seherazad, played by Sanam Saeed, says in one of the scenes with Salman Shahid’s Jafar Khanzada in ‘Barzakh’. At face value, it is indeed difficult to understand the love that transcends life. But like several things in life that are unknown, love – an abstract feeling – is as complex as one makes it to be and as simple as one believes it is.
In Arabic, Barzakh means the thread that holds the line between life and the afterlife. Much like its title, the Asim Abbasi show is set in a no man’s land in Pakistan. The picturesque Hunza valley is enough to lure you in from the first scene itself before we meet Jafar Khanzada [Salman] who is all set to marry the first love of his life, whose soul departed earth many years back. At his plush Mehtab Mahal, he is taken care of by Seherazad.
For his wedding, he invites his sons – Shehryar [Fawad Khan] and Saifullah [Fawad M Khan]. Together, we embark on this fantastical journey where the beginning and end are unfamiliar.
Dabbling with themes of gender inclusivity, mental health, and generational trauma in a nuanced way, Asim handles each character with an empathetic lens. It is clever to use a retro monochromic shot as the prologue to Jafar and Mehtab’s love story. The first two episodes give you a glimpse into the dysfunctional Khanzada family, with each member hiding a secret.
It’s also interesting how the theme of dysfunction has stemmed from generational trauma and themes of mental health and more. Fawad plays a single father who has several layers to peel off from. Sanam plays a mysterious caretaker, who is elusive yet approachable. There’s more to every character than what meets the eye. This is probably what makes ‘Barzakh’ such an enjoyable watch.
Unlike Sanam and Fawad’s previous outing – 12 years back with ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’ – the dynamic here is more complex. This is no run-of-the-mill love story and definitely not a typical Fawad-Sanam love story, so don’t jump in expecting that. Instead, the duo lend their powerhouse of talent to playing roles that extend to the larger theme of the show.
There is a mystery that is to unfold and both Fawad and Sanam’s characters are the center of this unraveling. Each possesses secrets.
