Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed’s 'Barzakh' pulled from YouTube amid criticism
With many rising in defence of the polarising drama as yet others slate it online, Barzakh remains one of the most talked-about shows this year. Photo: File
Pakistani superstars Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed's controversial web series Barzakh has been removed from YouTube.
The series, directed by Pakistani filmmaker Asim Abbasi for the Indian streaming platform Zee5, was taken down following an announcement by the producers last week on social media.
The producers stated that Barzakh would be removed from YouTube on August 9.
All six episodes of the series were deleted from Zee Zindagi's YouTube channel in the early hours of August 9 and 10.
The first episode of Barzakh was released on July 19, with the final episode airing on August 6. The series was available on Zee Zindagi's YouTube channel from July 19 to August 9, during which most viewers had watched all episodes.
According to the Indian producers, Barzakh has only been removed from YouTube Pakistan, while it remains accessible on YouTube platforms in India and other countries.
The series, shot in Pakistan's popular tourist destination Hunza and Karachi, featured a cast including Fawad Khan, Sanam Saeed, Ayeza Gillani, Eman Suleman, Khushhal Khan, Aniqah Zulfiqar Ali, Salman Shahid, and Franco Gost.
Barzakh, written and directed by Asim Abbasi, faced severe criticism on social media from the third episode onwards. The series depicted themes such as homosexuality, obscenity, adultery, and child indoctrination, leading Pakistani fans and several showbiz personalities to demand a ban.
Notably, renowned Pakistani fashion designer Maria B filed a petition with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) seeking a ban on Barzakh. However, Zee Zindagi's producers deleted the series from YouTube before any action was taken by the PTA.