Asim Abbasi – BOL News Staging

Director Asim Abbasi Addresses Removal of ‘Barzakh’ from YouTube

August 7, 2024 by Areej Afzal

Asim Abbasi is the director and producer behind the series ‘Barzakh.’
He stressed that the safety of the cast of the show is more important.
Asim also thanked fans for their support.

Asim Abbasi, the director and producer behind the series ‘Barzakh,’ has shared his thoughts following the decision to pull the show from YouTube in Pakistan amid public controversy. He stressed that the safety of everyone involved in the production is his top concern, saying, “No story of mine is worth more than the safety of all the beautiful and talented artists who came together to craft it. So this decision is really for the best.” Asim also thanked fans for their support, adding, “For all those who have showered us with love, I hope you enjoy the finale! And remember, stories never die.”

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The choice to remove ‘Barzakh’ from YouTube in Pakistan was made jointly by the teams from Zindagi and ‘Barzakh,’ in response to the heated debates and criticisms about the show’s content since it premiered two weeks ago. The final episode is set to air tonight at 8 pm, and viewers in Pakistan have until August 9 to catch up on the series on YouTube.

Zee Zindagi expressed their gratitude to their audience through an Instagram post. They acknowledged the support for ‘Barzakh,’ stating, “We, at Zindagi and Team Barzakh, extend our heartfelt thanks to our global audience for their unwavering support. The show was meant to bring people together, but given the current sentiment in Pakistan, we’ve decided to voluntarily withdraw it from YouTube Pakistan as of August 9, 2024. This decision reflects our commitment to honoring our audience while avoiding any feelings of alienation. We truly appreciate your understanding and continued support. Thank you.”

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Asim Abbasi Defends LGBTQ Storylines in ‘Barzakh’ Despite Viewer Criticism

July 31, 2024 by Areej Afzal

“Barzakh” is a new series directed and written by Asim Abbasi.
Abbasi brings together a star-studded cast.
Barzakh has faced criticism from some viewers.

“Barzakh,” a new series directed and written by Asim Abbasi, is making waves in the entertainment world. Known for his work on the film Cake and the web series Churails, Abbasi brings together a star-studded cast including Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, Muhammad Fawad Khan, Khushhal Khan, Uzma Beg, and Salman Shahid. The series is set against the stunning backdrop of northern Pakistan.

So far, three episodes of Barzakh have been released on YouTube. The first episode has achieved 2.6 million views, while the second and third episodes have garnered around 1 million and 586,000 views, respectively. This viewership is comparatively low given the high ratings of other Pakistani dramas like Jaan Nisar, which can reach 6 million views in just six hours. This discrepancy has raised eyebrows, particularly given the show’s strong cast and the success of Zindagi Gulzar Hai.

Recently, Barzakh has faced criticism from some viewers who believe the show promotes LGBTQ themes in a way that clashes with their values. One fan took to social media, urging a boycott and accusing Abbasi of glorifying LGBTQ issues. Abbasi responded by defending his creative choices, suggesting that those uncomfortable with queer storylines should avoid his content. He emphasized his commitment to telling diverse stories and highlighted that his team stands firmly behind their portrayal of LGBTQ characters.

This controversy has led to a significant backlash, with some fans choosing to boycott the series based on their religious beliefs and views on LGBTQ representation.

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Director Asim Abbasi set to helm an episode of ‘The Famous Five’ series

August 1, 2023 by Hamza Sheikh

Asim Abbasi to direct the highly awaited second episode of “The Famous Five.” The series is based on Enid Blyton’s beloved tales. The show is co-produced with Germany’s ZDF. Acclaimed filmmaker Asim Abbasi is set to direct the much-anticipated second episode of the highly awaited series, The Famous Five, as confirmed by sources. Based on … Read more

Fawad Khan & Sanam Saeed’s new web series ‘Barzakh’ Poster revealed

March 20, 2023 by Areej Afzal

The Barzakh poster by Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed has been revealed.
Barzakh will make its debut in the showcase’s International Panorama.
The series was filmed in Pakistan’s scenic Hunza Valley and Karachi.

The Barzakh poster by Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed has been revealed. The lone South Asian selection at Series Mania this year is the upcoming Zee 5 web series. Asim Abbasi, who won critical acclaim for his work on Cake and Zindagi’s first Pakistani original “Churails,” is the director of Barzakh.

As previously reported, Barzakh will make its debut in the showcase’s International Panorama, a 12-title competitive segment, where it competes for the public and student jury prizes for best series, director, actress, and actor.

The series was filmed in Pakistan’s scenic Hunza Valley and Karachi. A single parent who is overcome with guilt about something he has lost will be portrayed by Fawad Khan. Fawad said this about the show: “Coinciding with our Series Mania premiere, our poster that we now reveal to the world offers an early glimpse into what can be expected from the series – abstract beauty and ambiguity that reflects the complexities in navigating human relationships in a post-modern world.” The lead female role is played by Sanam Saeed.

Sanam said about Barzakh, “It is a beautiful piece of storytelling and our premiere at Series Mania demonstrates that this is content befitting of an international audience, transcending geographical, cultural and lingual barriers.”

According to the director of the series, “Love and memory are both central thematic components of ‘Barzakh.’ We wanted a visual that represented love in its eternal manifestation but, which like memory, also had a fleeting, ephemeral quality about – like time slipping by and evaporating around us, leaving behind a distant but vivid memory of the moment it all began.”

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Director of Cake Asim Abbasi All Honors To Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy

July 7, 2022 by Muhammad Humair Qureshi

Pakistani director Asim Abbas praises Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy for her performance in Ms. Marvel.
She is one of the four directors on the team behind the web series.
Abbas also acknowledged other Pakistani artists involved in the production, as well as praised their contribution to the project.

Asim Abbasi, a Pakistani director, offers nothing but praise for Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s performance in Ms. Marvel. She is one of the four directors on the web series’s team.

As Disney Plus’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe web series, Ms. Marvel, continues to create headlines, Netizens are swooning. While the public fawns over everyone from the comic book creators behind the original plot to the stars of the live-action version, we tend to overlook the filmmakers.

Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy was praised by Pakistani director Asim Abbasi for her work to the web series. The director of Cake also acknowledged other Pakistani artists involved in the production.

“What a glorious summer it’s been for groundbreaking Pakistani content and artists, … Kudos to Sharmen Obaid, Fawad Khan, Nimra Bucha, Mehwish Hayat and everyone else from around the globe who has been instrumental in bringing Ms. Marvel to us! And if you are lucky enough to be in Pakistan right now, catch it in the cinemas!!”

In an Instagram post, he discussed his impressions on the web series.

“Been watching Ms. Marvel with my 8 year old who has never before been into superhero stuff. But he is devouring this show, sharing details of it with his grandparents, and his friends at school, making maps and drawings of partition and train stations and leaving voice notes to Nimra you creep me out, Najma! “

In addition, he underlined how significant this is in terms of Pakistani representation.

“He feels seen. And that is the power of storytelling. It lies in the emotional, cathartic connect and representation in which you are not just the “other”, the side-kick, the comic in someone else’s world. Where you are the hero of your own world.”

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Pakistani series ‘Churails’ to be released on Indian streaming platform

July 28, 2020 by Komal Fatima

Indian streaming platform Zee5 Global is all set to launch Pakistani series ‘Churails’ on August 11. ‘Churails’ has been directed by Asim Abbasi, who has earlier directed Pakistani movie ‘Cake’. Churails will be the first Zindagi original. Talented Pakistani artists Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, MeharBano, and Yasra Rizvi will take the series to another level. … Read more

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