The series "Barzakh" has been voluntarily removed from YouTube Pakistan by channel Zindagi following criticism of its portrayal of queer love. The withdrawal will take effect from August 9.
This show gained attention for bringing together popular Pakistani stars Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed. It also includes well-known industry figures such as M Fawad Khan, Salman Shahid, and Eman Suleman.
"We, at Zindagi and Team Barzakh, extend our heartfelt gratitude to our global audience for their unwavering support for Barzakh, a show created to bring people together everywhere.
"But in light of the current public sentiment in Pakistan, we have made the decision to voluntarily withdraw Barzakh from YouTube Pakistan, effective August 9, 2024. This decision underscores our dedication to honouring our audiences without causing alienation. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support," the channel said in a statement shared on social media.
Asim Abbasi directed "Barzakh," which premiered worldwide on Zindagi's YouTube and ZEE5 on July 19. Despite its global success, Abbasi's previous Zindagi show "Churails" also encountered obstacles in Pakistan. Abbasi shared the channel's statement, mentioning that the finale of the six-episode series will air tonight as planned.
"Yes, the finale still airs tonight," the director wrote alongside the hashtag 'Barzakh'.
The London-based Pakistani filmmaker also shared the statement on his Instagram Stories with famous queer American author James Baldwin's quote, "Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have".
One of the storylines of the surrealistic drama revolved around M Fawad Khan's character Saifullah's romance with Lorenzo, an Italian cook played Franco Giusti, and that didn't go down well in Pakistan with many criticising the makers for allegedly promoting LGBTQIA+ "agenda".
Mishi Khan, a Pakistani actor, termed the show "trash".
"#barzakh What a shame that we are watching trash in the name of drama. This hidden LGBTQ agenda in the name of drama is being normalised with plays like Barzakh. Shame on the cast who knew the filth in the script but opted to do it," she wrote on X.
Veteran Pakistani actor Rubina Ashraf, however, told a Pakistani channel that television "reflects what is happening in society; it doesn't create it".
“People are criticising 'Barzakh' and have raised many objections to it, but we have also done 'Udaari' where we depicted incest, abortions, and illicit relationships because these are issues prevalent in society,” she said.
"A drama cannot promote homosexuality," she added.
But most of the recent voices on social media were critical of the show's stance towards queer love.
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