Claim: India’s Zindagi channel apologised to its viewers for the TV series “Barzakh” and took down all of the show’s episodes from YouTube.
Fact: The channel did not issue any apology for producing “Barzakh” and only took down the episodes from YouTube Pakistan. The TV series can still be watched around the world.
On 6 August 2024, Adnan Hashmi, a Pakistani-origin, New York-based content creator who focuses on cryptocurrency and personal finance, posted a Facebook reel in which he elaborated how the videos made by him and others forced India’s Zindagi channel to take down the fantasy TV show “Barzakh” from YouTube Pakistan.
In the Facebook reel, which was viewed close to 300,000 times, Hashmi said that a coordinated campaign against “Barzakh” — a show he labelled “disgusting” — that was initiated by him and his fellows, Raja Ziaul Haq and Maria Butt, emerged successful as the show was removed from YouTube Pakistan.
He continued to claim that due to the pressure from him and his fellows, “the benefit of this [campaign] was that Zindagi [channel] apologised to the people and said they will remove this drama from YouTube after 9 August”. He also added that “boycotts by Muslims” always make a difference.
Lastly, Hashmi demanded that “Barzakh” stars, as well as those who spoke in favour of the TV show, such as veteran actor Rubina Ashraf, also apologise or face boycotts. In addition to his claim, some other posts — here and here — asserted that “Barzakh” was removed from YouTube altogether.
Soch Fact Check has previously debunked posts by preacher Raja Ziaul Haq, as well as anti-trans campaigner Maria Butt, whose claims often carry undertones of right-winged sentiments.
This is not the first time that Hashmi has made a false claim. Earlier, we debunked his comments asserting that Google Trends predicted the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) win in the 2024 general elections.
‘Barzakh’ & controversy
A collaboration between Pakistan and India, “Barzakh” is written and directed by Asim Abbasi — of “Churails” and “Cake” fame — and produced by Shailja Kejriwal and Waqas Hassan. The six-episode series was released on the YouTube channel of Zindagi, which is owned by ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., as well as on the Indian subscription-based, video-on-demand (VOD) and over-the-top streaming (OTT) service, ZEE5.
“Barzakh” stars industry veterans Salman Shahid, Uzma Beg, Sajid Hassan, and Nighat Chaudhary, popular actors Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, theatre practitioner Muhammad Fawad Khan, as well as relatively new ones, including Khushhal Khan, Eman Suleman, and Anika Zulfikar.
Set in the fictional and mysterious “Land of Nowhere” and filmed in Hunza, as well as Karachi, the series — the idea of which Abbasi says first came to him after he finished “Churails” — explores various topics including personal conflict, loss and emotional baggage, generational trauma, and life after death. It also dives into issues like “mental health, postpartum depression, generational trauma and gender inclusivity”, according to Variety.
The TV show premiered at the Festival Séries Mania’s International Panorama showcase on 18 March 2023 and its first episode was released on YouTube on 19 July 2024. Soon afterwards, “Barzakh” started facing criticism from many Pakistanis, who accused it of “promoting homosexuality” and “violating Islamic principles” and called for a “boycott” of the show, its actors, and its supporters.
Former TV actress Mishi Khan termed the series “trash” for normalising what she claimed were “foreign agendas”, whereas Butt — whose claims Soch Fact Check has previously investigated here, here, here — filed a complaint with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), later insisting that she would approach a court over the show.
Responding to the criticism, director Abbasi wrote in one of his Instagram stories, “With all due respect, if you find queer/non-heteronormative storylines ‘distasteful’ please do not watch my content. Thank you.” He added that he and his team “will always champion rights of all, and tell stories that we believe in”.
Fact or Fiction?
On 6 August, Zindagi announced it was pulling the series from Pakistan over the “current public sentiment” in the country. In a statement posted on Instagram, the TV channel wrote:
“Zindagi and Team Barzakh: Statement of Gratitude and Announcement / “We, at Zindagi and Team Barzakh, extend our heartfelt gratitude to our global audience for their unwavering support for Barzakh a show that was created to bring people together everywhere. But in light of the current public sentiment in Pakistan, we have made the decision to voluntarily withdraw Barzakh from YouTube Pakistan, effective August 9, 2024. This decision underscores our dedication to honouring our audiences without causing alienation. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support. Thank You”
View this post on Instagram
Shortly after, however, Abbasi hinted that his team, including the actors, were at risk but did not specify what or how serious it was. In an X (erstwhile Twitter) post, he wrote: “No story of mine is worth more than the safety of all the beautiful, talented artists who came together to craft it. So this decision really is for the best. For all those who have showered us with love, I hope you enjoy the finale! And remember – stories never die. #Barzakh”.
If a user located in Pakistan now tries to play any of the “Barzakh” episodes, YouTube displays the following message: “Video unavailable. The uploader has not made this video available in your country.” This is managed by the owners’ choice or due to licensing rights, according to Google Help, and indicates that the TV series is still available for viewing around the world.
The statements by Zindagi, Abbasi or the “Barzakh” team do not mention an apology anywhere, which renders part of Hashmi’s claim false.
Most importantly, some social media users asserted that the TV series has completely been removed from YouTube, when, in fact, it has only been restricted for viewing by Pakistani audiences.
Virality
Soch Fact Check found the video on all of Hashmi’s social media profiles, including YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram, where it was viewed over 1,300, 298,000, 4,700, 612,200, 329,000, and 608,400 times, respectively.
The content creator also posted the clip on his Threads account, where it received close to 900 likes and more than 130 shares.
The claim was also shared on Facebook here and here
Conclusion: The channel did not issue an apology for producing “Barzakh” and only took down the episodes from YouTube Pakistan. The TV series can be watched around the world.
Background image in cover photo: @IllicitusProduc
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