Kanwal Khoosat: Maintained integrity of authors’ voices

Mahira Khan in the opening episode

Over four years after she starred alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Raees (2017), Pakistani star Mahira Khan has a date with the Indian audience again. The actor will feature in the opening episode of Yaar Julahay, a series of dramatic readings that pays tribute to celebrated writers of the Indian subcontinent. Through the 12-episode Zee Theatre offering, art lovers will be reacquainted with the timeless stories of progressive Urdu and Hindi writers, including Gulzar, Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, Munshi Premchand, Amrita Pritam, Qurratulain Hyder, Balwant Singh and Ghulam Abbas.

The show offers a retelling of Gulzar's short stories

Come May 15, the first episode will see Khan reading Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi's classic Guriya, which highlights the story of two best friends Mehra and Bano, and their contradicting emotions for a doll.

Humsafar maker Sarmad Khoosat, who has taken on the double duty of direction and reading, says the series is inspired by Dastangoi - a tradition of creating and telling stories that define South Asian culture. "We have interpreted Dastangoi in a contemporary way. There is live and recorded music, along with suggestive details that articulate the story's theme. For instance, when I directed Mahira for the Guriya episode, the set was strewn with dolls. It created an eerie atmosphere that augmented the narration and enhanced the inherent mood of the reading." Kanwal Khoosat, who has shared the directorial duties with him, adds, "In each reading, we have maintained the integrity of the author's voice even as we amplify it through the digital medium to reach as many people as possible."

Amrita Pritam

Besides Khan and Sarmad, Churails actors Sarwat Gilani, Fawad Khan, Yasra Rizvi and senior actor Sania Saeed will narrate the tales. Shailja Kejriwal, chief creative officer, special projects, ZEEL, says she wanted to bring forth "unique and complex" stories that have stood the test of time. "Each of the featured writers has processed reality through characters that we can still identify with. Kanwal and Sarmad Khoosat approach a project with a certain artistic sensitivity and have deep respect for the material. Their sensibility was needed for such a unique project," she says.