After stunning the fans with its enigmatic storyline and awe inspiring visuals, Barzakh is breaking boundaries by receiving heavy praise both from India and Pakistan. Produced by Shailja Kejriwal and Waqas Hassan, it is directed by Asim Abbasi who brings a blend of fantasy, drama and mystery with Barzakh. The performances of Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed and Salman Shahid amongst others are also being appreciated.
The bewitching series by Zindagi released its second episode last night and many people were not happy with it. But why? They were discontent with the queer representation in the series. From the onset Barzakh is under the scrutiny of these religious extremists and they are directing their hate towards Saifullah’s character who is a closeted gay man and finds himself attracted to the Italian chef in the series.
Trolls commented that the show shouldn’t promote homosexuality which is against their religious beliefs and many said that this is done just to gain an international audience. But Saifullah’s entire identity is not his queerness and he comes with a lot of emotional depth as his struggles were revealed in episode 2. People need more acceptance of the nuances of a character rather than outrightly subjecting them to their bigotry. His closeted queer experience is bound to resonate with many viewers. Fortunately, there were many supporters as well who talked of inclusivity and the need to broaden our minds horizon!
Here are some reactions:
