Asim Abbasi defends LGBTQ creation in ‘Barzakh’ despite viewers backlash
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'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.
Lately, a fan texted the writer and the director of Barzakh Asim Abbasi, and called him out for glorifying the LGBTQ agenda with pride.
The fan wrote, “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”.
Responding to the fan's statement and criticism, Asim Abbasi openly defended his LGBTQ creation and said, “With all due respect, if you find queer/non-heteronormative storylines “distasteful” please do not watch my content. Thank you.”
He tagged the team Barzakh and said that they will always tell these LGBTQ stories because they believe in them.
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Pakistani fans react to Barzakh's homosexual character
The fact that Aaqa's older son is shown as having same-sex fantasies—even though there are no sexual scenes—is unacceptable to the viewers for several religious and cultural reasons.
Just a small portion of the entire episode has them fuming. A few trolls expressed their religious convictions and argued that the show shouldn't support homosexuality, saying that such a storyline is being done merely to attract a global viewership.
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 Fawad and Sanam, and the success of 'Zindagi Gulzar Hai' too.
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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