Barzakh Review: Fawad Khan-Starrer Pakistani Drama Is A Dreamy, Slow Burn Fantasy High On Magical Realism

In Islam, Barzakh is a barrier which separates the living from those in the afterlife—a place where the souls rest until the day of judgment. British-Pakistani director Asim Abbasi’s drama Barzakh creates a limboland where the dead and living co-exist. The premise of an aged lover looking to marry the ghost of his beloved is used to explore the many intricacies of love. The eight episode series due for a weekly release, is dreamy, sensual, and spine-chilling all at the same time.

Barzakh: Plot 

The show opens in a 4:3 aspect ratio. We see a shirtless Khushhal Khan chew on a fruit shortly after which, he serenades his lover and vows to build a mahal for her. The scene had caused quite a stir in Pakistan with the conservative sections outraging on social media over the indecent exposure. Khan plays a young Jafar Khanzada, the man who wants to erect Mahtab Mahal for his lover Mahtab (Anika Zulfikar).

Khanzada takes up a job at a construction site (and a part-time magician/mime artist) as he slowly builds wealth. The action shifts to the present day where Shehryar (played by a brooding Fawad Khan) drives into the ‘Land of Nowhere’. He checks into a hotel as protestors clash with the hotel security. We see an elderly Khanzada (played by Salman Shahid who is now a geriartic man) suffering short term memory loss. It is revealed that Shehryar is his son.

M Fawad Khan plays Saifullah, Shehryar’s brother and Khanzada’s eldest son. Saif is infatuated with a Spanish man (Franco Giusti) who works with a staff at the hotel. Subtle undertones of homoeroticism manifest as we see romance brew between the two. Sanam Saeed is Scheherezade, Khanzada’s caretaker who also manages the hotel and its guests. Saeed plans Khanzada’s wedding with Mahtab’s ghost on the top of the mountain hill on the next lunar eclipse/Red Moon.

Barzakh: Performances 

A couple of protestors lose their mind as they fight to meet their dead ancestors. Much to their dismay, Khanzada has built a hotel over their graves and kept them in captivity as revenge for the death of Mahtab (in which the ancestors played a key role). The locals are also protesting against the wedding scheduled to happen on the mountain hill.

They fear that when the living marry the dead, the ‘Land of Nowhere’ (or Barzakh) will cease to exist. Their cries for justice fall on deaf ears as Khanzada is adamant of his “third and last” wedding. As the story moves forward, we find out that each character has skeletons in their closet.

Barzakh: Writing And Direction 

Do the opening quotes in the beginning of each episode and the poetry in-between come across as a little pretentious? Yes. But in no way does it take away from the charm of this aesthetically shot, dreamy show which has cozy interiors and sepia-tinted exteriors. Writer-director Asim Abbasi makes judicious use of the long-format of storytelling offered by OTT to write characters who have rich backstories.

He gives ample breathing space to each member of the ensemble cast, delving deep into their childhood trauma and bringing out their demons to the forefront. You can’t help but root for each one of them as they play a key role in the grand scheme of things. The queer gaze in the show is strong. In Chapter II titled “The Lost Boy and The Pink Past”, we see a young Saifullah feel guilty for homosexual impulses because of which, he strangles a bird as an act of sacrifice.

Barzakh: What Works, What Doesn’t 

As a queer kid, Saif never got his mother’s affection. He is haunted by her ghost till date. He brushes her hair and begs for her validation because she never accepted his identity. Barzakh’s portrayal of queer desire and never-ending quest for validation is soul-stirring. In the upcoming episodes, we see Shehryar, Scheherezade and several other side characters reveal facets of their unknown past.

What I absolutely loved about Barzakh is just how soothing the show is. It goes easy on the eyes and the ears. The horror is never shrill. There are no jump scares. Even the most dramatic and emotionally heavy scenes seem lightweight. Be warned, worldbuilding takes time and the showrunners aren’t too keen on showing all their cards in the initial episodes. So you must, by all means, hang on with the show as it sets up the premise.

Barzakh is a slow burn. But it is never monotonous or laborious to watch, unlike the recent Indian web shows that have flooded the OTT space. Fawad Khan as Shehryar is just the brooding, handsome single father you want to see on-screen. If you are in for a slow yet fascinating watch with stunning visuals (and soothing colour palette), Barzakh is just the show for you.

Star Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Barzakh are streaming now on ZEE5. The series has total six episodes. The new episode will be aired on every Friday and Tuesday at 8 pm.