Zindagi’s new show might have been massively edited to suit the Indian perspective but its director, Haissam Hussain, says that its message remains intact — not to use women as a soft target in times of war
After winning hearts of the audience with highly appreciated dramas like Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Humsafar and Maat, and securing a strong position in the GEC space, it’s time for Zindagi channel to put forth more marvels from the treasure box. So the channel launched one of the most popular series from the subcontinent, Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam (originally titled Dastaan). The series, which is presently on air, features Fawad Khan and Sanam Baloch in the lead roles and is a love story against the backdrop of Partition. The narrative of the show has undergone massive editing to suit the Indian perspective. The show narrates the journey of Bano from undivided India to Pakistan after the Partition and her love story. “The series is based on the novel Bano by Razia Butt and it is a love story. Partition is an important part of this love story but the message that it conveys is that women should not be used as a weak target in the times of war,” said Haissam Hussain, the director of the show.
Waqt Ne Kiya Kya Haseen Sitam can also mark a turn in the programming on the channel as it may prepare the audience for much serious content. “The reason we have been successful is because the content caters to a different mindset. We realised that there was audience for realistic content, who wanted to see drama differently. The audience will be seeing more strong and powerful stories in the future as we have plans to showcase not just dramas from Pakistan but from other countries, too. The reason we decided to begin with dramas from Pakistan was because it is easy for the Indian audience to relate to them because of the similar cultures. We also plan to have original content on the channel,” shared Priyanka Dutta, business head of Zindagi.