,Humsafar“, Famous Pakistani Shows Starring Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, it is receiving a lot of appreciation Indian stage adaptation with veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt Bhatt’s protégé actor Imran Zahid, who has worked on several stage adaptations of the filmmaker’s critically acclaimed films such as “Earth”, “Daddy” and “Janam”, is helming the project, which he hopes will mark a revival. cultural exchange between india and pakistan
Zahid said that he has reached a mutual agreement with “Humsafar” producer Momina Duraid for a stage adaptation in India. Zahid will act and produce the stage presentation.
“This is an initiative from Mahesh Bhatt and Momina Duraid to continue the exchange of art and culture between the two countries. This exchange had been halted for some time and I believe this is a small step towards restarting it,” Zahid told PTI.
In a statement, Bhatt said he strongly believes that India and Pakistan can “bridge the gap” through art and culture.
“When I started the campaign to bridge these gaps through films, people laughed and called it an impossible dream. But the truth is that now Indian films are being shown in Pakistan and Pakistani serials are being shown in India,” said the filmmaker, who has worked with Pakistani actors and musicians in the past.
He said, “While television and cinema have a wide reach, theatre can also be a powerful medium to slowly influence people’s consciousness.”
Duraid is the producer of “Humsafar” and also the creative head of HUM TV, the channel on which the show aired for one season from September 2011 to March 2012.
“Humsafar” tells the story of Ashar (Fawad Khan) and Khirad (Mahira Khan), two individuals from different backgrounds who are forced to marry due to their circumstances and have to deal with the complexities of love, betrayal and societal pressure.
The show is one of the most appreciated programs on Pakistani television and has a huge fan following in India too after it aired on Zindagi channel.
Zahid said he decided to approach Duraid after the Supreme Court on November 28, 2023, rejected a petition seeking a blanket ban on Pakistani artistes from working or performing in India.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition, saying that the relief sought in it was a retrograde step towards promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace and was devoid of any merit.
“We were working on another stage show called ‘Milne Do’ which featured artistes from both India and Pakistan. This was in 2017-2018 and it was supposed to feature artistes like Ghulam Ali sahab, Ali Zafar and Shafqat Ali Khan. But due to various issues, we couldn’t do it.
“Last year, the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court issued verdicts saying there is no ban on Pakistani artistes working in India,” Zahid said.
Bhatt and Zahid approached the director of “Humsafar” and after long discussions, they spoke to Sultana Siddiqui, founder of Pakistani network Hum TV. She is also Duraid’s mother-in-law.
Zahid added, “Since ‘Humsafar’ has a deep emotional connect with audiences everywhere, they were concerned about how we would bring this story to the stage. They said they would see what we were doing with it and we told them we would share everything right down to the script level. They wanted to be involved in the casting process to ensure we were on the same page.”
The actor said the show will be performed free of cost and there is no commercial aspect involved as “the aim of such programmes is to promote Indo-culinary exchange.”
He said, “When we read the judgments of the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court, we realised that it is just a perception that we should not or cannot do this, there is no restriction on it. Today, Pakistani shows are quite popular in India. So this exchange is already going on and digitally streaming services ZEE5 and Netflix are also working on it.”
Asked if there was a fear that the stage adaptation of a Pakistani show could invite adverse reactions, Zahid referred to the participation of the Pakistan cricket team in the 2023 World Cup, which was held in India.
He said, “Pakistan team participated in the 2023 World Cup and there was no adverse statement from anyone at that time. There was no objection to their participation. They played their games all over the country and then went home. So why should we think there would be any objection to this?”
“It is just a matter of perception. The entertainment industry is an easy target. Recently, a remake of the famous Pakistani song ‘Pasuri’ was included in a film. Unless there is an order from the government banning such activity, we should not hesitate in promoting it.”
Zahid said that he has reached a mutual agreement with “Humsafar” producer Momina Duraid for a stage adaptation in India. Zahid will act and produce the stage presentation.
“This is an initiative from Mahesh Bhatt and Momina Duraid to continue the exchange of art and culture between the two countries. This exchange had been halted for some time and I believe this is a small step towards restarting it,” Zahid told PTI.
In a statement, Bhatt said he strongly believes that India and Pakistan can “bridge the gap” through art and culture.
“When I started the campaign to bridge these gaps through films, people laughed and called it an impossible dream. But the truth is that now Indian films are being shown in Pakistan and Pakistani serials are being shown in India,” said the filmmaker, who has worked with Pakistani actors and musicians in the past.
He said, “While television and cinema have a wide reach, theatre can also be a powerful medium to slowly influence people’s consciousness.”
Duraid is the producer of “Humsafar” and also the creative head of HUM TV, the channel on which the show aired for one season from September 2011 to March 2012.
“Humsafar” tells the story of Ashar (Fawad Khan) and Khirad (Mahira Khan), two individuals from different backgrounds who are forced to marry due to their circumstances and have to deal with the complexities of love, betrayal and societal pressure.
The show is one of the most appreciated programs on Pakistani television and has a huge fan following in India too after it aired on Zindagi channel.
Zahid said he decided to approach Duraid after the Supreme Court on November 28, 2023, rejected a petition seeking a blanket ban on Pakistani artistes from working or performing in India.
Earlier, the Bombay High Court had dismissed the petition, saying that the relief sought in it was a retrograde step towards promoting cultural harmony, unity and peace and was devoid of any merit.
“We were working on another stage show called ‘Milne Do’ which featured artistes from both India and Pakistan. This was in 2017-2018 and it was supposed to feature artistes like Ghulam Ali sahab, Ali Zafar and Shafqat Ali Khan. But due to various issues, we couldn’t do it.
“Last year, the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court issued verdicts saying there is no ban on Pakistani artistes working in India,” Zahid said.
Bhatt and Zahid approached the director of “Humsafar” and after long discussions, they spoke to Sultana Siddiqui, founder of Pakistani network Hum TV. She is also Duraid’s mother-in-law.
Zahid added, “Since ‘Humsafar’ has a deep emotional connect with audiences everywhere, they were concerned about how we would bring this story to the stage. They said they would see what we were doing with it and we told them we would share everything right down to the script level. They wanted to be involved in the casting process to ensure we were on the same page.”
The actor said the show will be performed free of cost and there is no commercial aspect involved as “the aim of such programmes is to promote Indo-culinary exchange.”
He said, “When we read the judgments of the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court, we realised that it is just a perception that we should not or cannot do this, there is no restriction on it. Today, Pakistani shows are quite popular in India. So this exchange is already going on and digitally streaming services ZEE5 and Netflix are also working on it.”
Asked if there was a fear that the stage adaptation of a Pakistani show could invite adverse reactions, Zahid referred to the participation of the Pakistan cricket team in the 2023 World Cup, which was held in India.
He said, “Pakistan team participated in the 2023 World Cup and there was no adverse statement from anyone at that time. There was no objection to their participation. They played their games all over the country and then went home. So why should we think there would be any objection to this?”
“It is just a matter of perception. The entertainment industry is an easy target. Recently, a remake of the famous Pakistani song ‘Pasuri’ was included in a film. Unless there is an order from the government banning such activity, we should not hesitate in promoting it.”
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Zahid said they will soon announce the cast for the stage adaptation and aim to begin production in December.
