It was about peace, love and moving forward: Ahad Raza Mir on ‘Dhoop Ki Deewar’

Actor explains his reasons behind taking on the role in the controversial Indo-Pak drama

Actor Ahad Raza Mir, who recently starred in the controversy-ridden webseries Dhoop Ki Deewar alongside Sajal Aly, shed light on his decision to take on the lead role in the Indo-Pakistan drama series.

“Whenever I consider a script or a character, the first thing that I look for selfishly as an actor is what this is going to do for me in terms of a challenge? Also, when it comes to the story, I always feel like it needs to have some kind of hook to it which doesn’t just get me involved as an actor, but the audience as well,” he explained. 

The Ehd-e-Wafa actor added, “When the script of Dhoop Ki Deewar came to me, it was less about the character and more about the story, and more about me wanting to be a part of something that within our society is a statement of peace and love, and a willingness, in fact, a yearning, to move forward.” 

Speaking about his hesitation to take on the project due to the political tension between the two countries, he explained, “Obviously, in the beginning, I was a little worried because there are tensions happening all the time, but I felt that I have to move past this fear with the confidence that something like this can help us move forward. So that was really the inspiration behind signing Dhoop Ki Deewar.” 

The release of the trailer for the series saw a large public outcry against the series, with several people tweeting that the show was disrespectful to Kashmiris and that peace with India is not an option. #BanDhoopKiDeewar quickly became a top trend in the country, with people being particularly incensed over the fact that the series seemingly follows a Muslim girl (played by Sajal) being romanced by a Hindu boy (portrayed by Ahad).

The writer of the series, Umera Ahmed, took to social media to clarify her stance on the matter, posting a lengthy note on Instagram. She clarified that as a writer, she had no say in which platform the series landed on and the fact that it will release through Zee5 was not her decision. With reference to the love story, the writer called it more of a “social tragedy”, highlighting the effects of war on individual lives. She explained that the story, after it was first written, had been sent to ISPR for approval so that question of her being a traitor becomes void. Finally, she asked why advocating for peace was being deemed sinful, going on to state that it is in fact actively encouraged in Islam