Pakistani drama Barzakh, which debuts on July 19 on Zee5, has an unusual premise; an old recluse invites his two sons to his (third) wedding – to a woman they believe is dead. The six-episode series stars Sanam Saeed, Fawad Khan, M Fawad Khan, and Salman Shahid in key roles.
The term Barzakh translates to limbo, which is where souls reside before they all reach their final destination (heaven or hell).
In the series, Salman Shahid plays Jaffar Khanzada, a reclusive resort owner, who has invited his sons Sheheryar (Fawad Khan) and Saifullah (M Fawad Khan) to attend his wedding. Sanam Saeed, meanwhile, plays Scheherzade, Khanzada’s assistant and someone who takes the audience on this journey.
Ahead of the show’s premiere, City Times spoke to Sanam, who was last seen in Umr o Ayyar – A New Beginning, this year.
“It’s an honour and a privilege to have so much work coming out this year,” says Sanam, “but it wasn’t planned like that; it was planned to be spaced out maybe one a year. I was very excited to be a part of Umr o Ayyaar, it was fun to be a part of a sci-fi action film bringing to life a much-loved set of stories. I hope there are many sequels to come for it! As far as Barzakh is concerned, OTT platforms have become comfort zones for many actors like me. The topics explored on these platforms are what we can relate to more, it’s also more challenging and feels more fulfilling. I’ve been a fan of Asim’s work and coming back with Fawad is a treat because he’s a wonderful actor, it’s always fun to exchange that energy with him.”
Little-told tales
Sanam also weighs in on what are the kind of stories she would like mainstream channels to show. “This [Barzakh] was a story about an older man in his 70s, I thought it was really important to highlight. I would also like to see stories about older women … stories on disabilities, love in older ages, on minorities on mainstream channels. OTT platforms give room to these topics but I think mainstream channels can also show these stories and educate people even more because the spectrum of the audience is so much wider. TV audiences sometimes don’t get exposure from other avenues such as travelling or books or even cinema. There’s a lot of interesting and powerful storytelling that we can use on television.”
Barzakh was originally slated to release at a much earlier time and the pandemic may have pushed the release forward. Does Sanam believe that the story or her character would have been different had it been conceived today?
“I wouldn’t change anything [neither] my character or the approach,” she answers. “It would have always been relevant because [the] theme is really the circle of life and that’s always relevant.”
Crafting a character
Sanam’s character in the series is also unique – and the actress says she had to create her from scratch.
“We were going to jot down some characters and inspirations to draw from but just as Asim and I began going through the list, we said – no. Why are we doing this?” she explains.
“Why are we taking support from a character that’s – something that we’d like to [imagine] has never been written? Let’s focus on what Asim has written and how he and I can create her. Asim had an image of her, and I played her, but she was truly developed in the rehearsal space. When I’d be reading my lines with both the Fawads or Salman Shahid we would then develop her. We’d say, ‘oh no I don’t think she would do this’, or change her demeanor; she’d be soft here or harder here. That was the magic of the rehearsal space where we got to find the right tone, the right face angle. Because she must be a curious creature. She had to be relatable but not as relatable as people in this realm. There was this confusing balance that we were constantly trying to achieve.
“Sheherzade would appear to be two-dimensional, but she is very layered. And it was very hard, I wasn’t allowed to emote much. I wasn’t allowed to show wonder, anger or surprise much, and I was worried that if I am unable to show emotion, it would end up looking very stiff. It was therefore quite difficult to execute this, but Asim was very sweet and said he was very happy with the performance. But I’m very nervous because it was a confusing state to be in. Thankfully my cast and team were very supportive, and I just fed off of whatever they were giving me.”
Intriguing storyline
What would be an ideal response for audiences when they see Barzakh, according to Sanam? “I want people to watch Barzakh because it’s got characters of all ages,” she states smiling. “I want men to watch it and remember their lost loves and remember their love with their partners. I want children to watch it and be amazed at the importance of a child in an adult’s life. Some children feel ignored and don’t feel important enough but through this, you understand how important a child is and how impressionable they are when it comes to adults and their attitudes towards children. I want siblings and brothers to reminisce and connect with their bonds.
“There is a generational connection that I want people to experience, and I want people to be intrigued. Intrigue is a word that is commonly associated with Barzakh so I want people to feel intrigued and feel that sense of magic when thinking of meeting souls and what will happen on that ‘red moon night’. I want them to be lost in the magic that we’re sprinkling out throughout Barzakh. Through some VFX and the story, we’re just bringing back ideas of shamans and old tales and fairies and magic. Not so much magic, but more of spiritual realism about souls and life after death. I would love for everyone to question everything, question relationships and bonds, and hopefully feel for all the characters and see a bit of themselves in each one.”