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Pakistani filmmaker Aasim Abbasi on ghost love story 'Barzakh'

Abbasi is known to push boundaries and challenge conventions with his movie choices

Imagine the depth of creative passion required to leave a flourishing career in investment banking in the UK to pursue filmmaking. Aasim Abbasi not only took that bold leap of faith but has also left an indelible mark through the projects that he has created along the way.

Having garnered acclaim for his previous works such as Anathema, Cake, Count Abdulla, and Churails, Abbasi continues to push boundaries and challenge conventions with his next OTT release featuring Salman Shahid, Sanam Saeed, and Fawad Khan in pivotal roles. With Barzakh, he invites audiences on a journey of introspection and discovery, encouraging them to ponder life’s and afterlife’s complexities through his storytelling lens.

City Times spoke to the director ahead of the OTT release of Barzakh, and here are the excerpts:

Your projects span a wide range of themes, from dysfunctional families to rebellious women to fantasy worlds. Do you find satisfaction in not fitting into a box?

I really don’t think it is a deliberate attempt to be different on my part. But yes, it is important to me as an artist to keep reinventing myself, to broaden the scope of genres I work in, to find new narrative forms. I want to be a learner for life, to keep experimenting, and that naturally leads me to push the boundaries of my own ambition and storytelling.

Your work often explores themes beyond commercial expectations. Are you concerned about reaching a niche audience, and how do you approach ensuring your projects gain widespread viewership?

I have been lucky enough to have producers and collaborators who have always believed in my vision, and that really helps centre me and focus on what is important. At the end of the day, if the story I am telling does not satisfy me, if it doesn’t fulfill me, it will never find its way into people’s hearts. I need to be authentic to myself, and hopefully, the audience will connect to that honesty. And once that happens, your audience base grows. I think before Churails released, many would have considered it to be exceptionally niche, but when it resonated with audiences and found a really committed fan base, it no longer felt niche.

Your recent focus has been on OTT platforms and series formats. Is this where you feel most creatively fulfilled and effective as a storyteller?

It really depends on the story and the opportunities that come my way. I would love to make a feature film again, but films are a different beast and can take a very long time to develop, and a lot of factors go into their release. With OTT, I have had the ability to work slightly faster and hone my craft along the way. But yes, I do like having the space to develop backstories, to tell ensemble-y, interconnected stories, and being able to spread a story over, say, six hours as is the case with Barzakh, does come with its own appeal, and therefore OTT remains a format that I will always come back to.

Many believe OTT platforms offer more flexibility and longevity compared to traditional theatrical releases. Do you agree that this format allows for a more forgiving audience reception and prolonged viewer engagement?

Certainly, it is great for projects that require word of mouth to gain continued traction, or projects that may benefit from repeat viewings. But I think the requirement from the creator to bring their best, to wow the audiences, to make them think, to create something that lasts and resonates, is pretty similar for both film and streaming content.

There's a notion that personal grief can inspire profound art. Would you agree?

I think all life experiences can inspire art. Not just grief, but also joy. I think as storytellers, we are always looking at both the smallest and the biggest experiences, not just our own but also of everyone around us, trying to be as observant as possible, and reflect[ing] on those experiences and [combining] them with imagination to create new worlds.

You mentioned Barzakh brought closure to personal tragedies. Could you elaborate on how this project served as catharsis for you?

I think every project of mine has been personally cathartic for me. For me, that is the most beautiful thing about what I do – it is a school of life, where I am constantly learning and shedding and becoming a new me through the stories I get the opportunity to tell. Barzakh was borne out of my desire to process my father’s passing, but also to celebrate my son, Azam’s life, who is named after my father. For me, this circle of life, the meaning of physical death, and exploration of subtle bodies in other realms, is fascinating, and I wanted to delve into it, in a mythical setting. In doing so, I am hoping to honour not just my own dad’s legacy but the legacy of all fathers – legacy in terms of both the love and protection that dads provide us, but also the trauma that we inherit from them, and the cycle of grief we try so hard to break with our own children.

Collaborating with renowned stars like Fawad and Sanam can significantly influence a project's reception. How important is a strong cast in achieving artistic success?

Strong actors are crucial. But that does not mean renowned stars. As famous as Fawad and Sanam might be, they are professional actors who crave to perform and be challenged, and they showed up on the set of Barzakh to give their best, every single day. It is that kind of commitment that is crucial to the success of any project, not the celebrity status.

When managing actors with varying levels of experience, from newcomers to seasoned professionals, which group do you find more manageable, and why?

I really have never struggled with actors on any projects. I think it is less a case of managing, but rather of creating a safe space for them to experiment and challenge themselves, and to be there to assist them or nudge them in certain directions when and if needed. I think the approach may sometimes vary from actor to actor, but all of them, seasoned or new, are fragile, vulnerable human beings who are allowing themselves to be emotionally naked in front of the camera, and my job as a director is to make them feel as safe, secure, and judgement-free in those moments, so they can truly shine.

Barzakh is expected to premiere on Zee5 Global on July 19.

Sadiq Saleem is a UAE-based writer and can be contacted on his Instagram handle @sadiqidas.

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