“Glorifying these characters in the name of art is distasteful."
Asim Abbasi, the director of Barzakh, has responded to criticism over its LGBTQ themes.
Barzakh is a new series on Zee Zindagi, which showcases the creative vision of Asim Abbasi.
Asim is known for his acclaimed film Cake and the popular web series Churails.
Featuring a stellar cast, including Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, the series has been filmed in the breathtaking landscapes of northern Pakistan.
Despite its promising start, with the first episode attracting 2.6 million views, subsequent episodes have struggled to reach the one million mark.
This is an unusual occurrence given the current success of Pakistani dramas.
The disparity in viewership has raised eyebrows, especially considering Fawad Khan’s popularity.
In contrast, other hit dramas like Jaan Nisar are garnering millions of views.
This discrepancy has sparked discussions among fans and critics alike. Many of them are attributing this to the LGBTQ themes in the series.
Recently, a viewer reached out to Asim Abbasi, expressing discontent with the series for promoting such themes.
His message was a reply to one of Asim’s Instagram stories talking about the relationship between two characters in Barzakh.
Asim wrote: “Don’t think Areeb is happy that Loru chose Saifu.”
The user replied: “Please don’t add more to the fire by saying he ‘chose’ Saifu.
“They’re asking to boycott the show, and you’re giving them more reasons to do it.
“Glorifying these characters in the name of art is distasteful. It was wrong in Churails, it’s wrong here.”
Asim Abbasi defended his artistic choices, stating that he and his team are committed to telling LGBTQ stories.
He encouraged viewers who disagree with it to refrain from watching.
Asim replied:
“With all due respect, if you find queer/non-heteronormative storylines ‘distasteful’, please do not watch my content. Thank you.”
Many fans declared their intention to boycott Barzakh, citing religious values and cultural norms as reasons for their disapproval.
They claim that LGBTQ representation in media is against state laws.
A user said: “This clearly shows how much our people lag behind when it comes to practising the truth.
“People must muster up their courage to boycott it. Trust me you will not die without watching it.
One wrote: “Bro it’s not even allowed to make such content in Pakistan. Go abroad and make it. Mental!”
Another declared: “We boycott this content and we will not watch it.”
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