Series “Barzakh,” starring top Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, has unveiled a trailer.

Set in the Hunza Valley, “Barzakh” centers on a 76-year-old man who surprises his estranged children and grandchildren by announcing his engagement to the ghost of his first love. This revelation triggers a series of emotional confrontations as the family gathers, unsure how to respond to the situation.

The trailer suggests that “Barzakh” will explore themes of interconnectedness and enduring love, weaving local folklore into its storyline. The series poses the question: “When all has withered, will love endure?”

The six-episode series is produced by Waqas Hassan and Shailja Kejriwal for Zindagi, the Indian subcontinent focused programming block on streamer ZEE5 Global. It is helmed by critically acclaimed director Asim Abbasi who also directed Zindagi’s first Pakistani original “Churails” and the feature film “Cake,” which was Pakistan’s entry for the 2019 Oscars.

Khan said: “After having seen ‘Cake,’ when I was approached for ‘Barzakh,’ I jumped at the opportunity. Asim’s work sets him apart as a very unique director whose emphasis is on character development in a way that is contemporary. Also, I’ve always wanted to attempt something out of the ordinary and ‘Barzakh’ is nothing ordinary. It’s downright experimental and I love it.”

“Asim and Shailja are a power combo. They’ve tuned into each other’s sensibilities and aesthetics. That makes the process all the more easier,” Khan added. “As a producer, how Waqas brought the story to life is nothing short of extraordinary, and his dedication to the craft is deeply inspiring.”

The series reunites Khan and Saeed for the first time since their hit show “Zindagi Gulzar Hai” (2012). “Working with Sanam after all these years is still a comfort zone. I enjoyed it and I believe in her skills. It always makes my job easy. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed the process of making it,” Khan said.

Saeed added: “Being part of ‘Barzakh’ has been an immensely rewarding experience for me. The show’s premise, which explores themes of family, love, loss, and the afterlife, fascinated me from the start. As an actor, I’m constantly seeking roles that challenge me and offer a fresh perspective on storytelling. ‘Barzakh’ does just that, presenting a narrative that transcends conventional boundaries and delves into the realms of the mystical and the unknown.”

“From the minute Asim narrated the story to me, I instantly knew that I had to be a part of this project. Asim has always been a person who tries to explore the unexplored, and this is why I have always been
his fan,” Saeed said. “What excites me the most about this is reuniting with a stellar actor like Fawad and sharing the screen with Salman Shahid, Sajid Hasan and the other Fawad [M. Fawad Khan] who I’ve worked closely with in theater. Shailja as a producer has been an absolute dream to work with as always. Now, with the global release of ‘Barzakh,’ I cannot wait to take the viewers into the world of nowhere.”

Following its well-received premiere at Series Mania in France, “Barzakh” will stream worldwide on Zindagi’s YouTube channel and ZEE5 Global from July 19.

Watch the trailer here:

U.S. military bases throughout Europe have been put on heightened alert status due to a potential terrorist attack, Fox News Digital has confirmed. 

“There is credible intel pointing to an attack against U.S. bases over the next week or so,” a U.S. defense official told Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson. 

The official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media, did not elaborate on the nature of the threat, but confirmed it was not tied to the French elections. 

ISIS REMAINS GLOBAL THREAT A DECADE AFTER DECLARING CALIPHATE, US MILITARY OFFICIAL SAYS

The official said all U.S. military bases in Europe have been placed on high alert, not a lock-down. 

FILE – U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to the 721st Mobility Support Squadron pose for a unit photo, Sept. 12, 2022, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.  (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Edgar Grimaldo)

The U.S. bases have raised the status of the alert level to, “Force Protection Charlie,” which means the Pentagon has received credible intelligence indicating some form of a terrorist attack is in the works. 

The new alert applies to all U.S. military facilities and personnel in Europe, including facilities in Germany, Italy, Romanian and Bulgaria, per reporting from Stars and Stripes.

PodcastPodcast, The Take

After chaotic Biden-Trump debate, we hear from students about why school debate programmes are important to democracy.

The first US presidential debate of 2024 left many watchers wondering about the state of debate and democracy in the United States. We hear debating lessons from students who still believe the skill is essential to keeping democracy alive.

In this episode: 

• KM DiColandrea (@dico_nyc) – Founder and executive director of the Brooklyn Debate League
• Jonathan Conyers (@iamjonconyers) – Debate coach and former student debater
• Student Debaters: Gabrielle Lewis, Madison Wheeler, Karl McGhie, and Long Jiang

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders and Ashish Malhotra with Fahrinisa Campana, Sonia Bhagat, Mohamed Zain Shafi Khan, Veronique Eshaya, and our host Malika Bilal. 

The Take production team is Amy Walters, Ashish Malhotra, Catherine Nouhan, Chloe K. Li, David Enders, Duha Mosaad, Khaled Soltan, Manahil Naveed, Marcos Bartolomé, Sarí el-Khalili, Sonia Bhagat, Mohamed Zain Shafi Khan, Veronique Eshaya, and Tamara Khandaker. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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