Pakistani actors Sanam Saeed and Fawad Khan reunited for 'Barzakh' after 12 years. The first episode of the show premiered on July 19 on Zee5 and YouTube channel of Zindagi. The series mostly received positive reviews. However, it landed into controversy post its release and faced a lot of criticism in Pakistan due to its portrayal of queer love. The makers of the series, Zindagi, have today announced the withdrawal of 'Barzakh' from YouTube Pakistan, effective August 9, 2024. They also extended ''heartfelt gratitude to our global audience for their unwavering support'' for the show.
Zindagi shared an official statement on their Instagram handle that read: "We, at Zindagi and Team Barzakh, extend our heartfelt gratitude to our global audience for their unwavering support for Barzakh - a show that was 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.'' The statement further read: ''This decision underscores our dedication to honouring our audiences without causing alienation. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support."
Director Asim Abbasi also shared the statement on his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) and wrote, "#barzakh Yes, the finale still airs tonight."
Earlier, when audiences in Pakistan called for a boycott of the show, Abbasi said, "With all due respect, if you find queer non-heteronormative storylines distasteful please do not watch my content."
'Barzakh' controversy
'Barzakh' controversy started when an episode showed Fawad M Khan (Saifullah) and Franco Giusti (Lorenzo) almost sharing a kiss. It led people to call for a boycott of the show for promoting LGBTQIA+ themes and homosexuality.
Post the statement of pulling down the show, makers unveiled the trailer of the finale episode of 'Barzakh', which is releasing tonight.
