Four years after starring alongside the king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan in Raees (2017), Mahira Khan is all set to make a comeback to the Indian screens.
The Zaalima will feature in the opening episode of Yaar Julahay, a Zee Theatre series of dramatic readings that pays tribute to celebrated writers of the subcontinent.
“A treat for your eyes, ears, and mind! Watch Yaar Julahay, a series of dramatic readings of pure delight featuring scripts by legendary writers, starting from 15th May on Tata Sky Theatre,” revealed ZEE Theatre on social media.
A treat for your eyes, ears, and mind!
— Zee Theatre (@Zee_Theatre) May 7, 2021
Watch Yaar Julahay, a series of dramatic readings of pure delight featuring scripts by legendary writers, starting from 15th May on #TataSkyTheatre. pic.twitter.com/Da0sMekNyf
The opening episode will feature Mahira 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.
“Sit back and explore unheard stories from the subcontinent! Watch Guriya, written by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and narrated by the multi-talented Mahira Khan on Sunday, May 15 at 2PM and 8PM only on Tata Sky Theatre.”
Sit back and explore unheard stories from the subcontinent!
— Zee Theatre (@Zee_Theatre) May 7, 2021
Watch Guriya, written by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi and narrated by the multi-talented Mahira Khan on Sunday, May 15 at 2PM and 8PM only on #TataSkyTheatre. pic.twitter.com/iScu9qUDQp
“Each episode of Yaar Julahay features the immersive reading of a remarkable story that is as unique and complex as the subcontinent we live in. Each one of the featured writers has processed reality through characters that we can still identify with. It was a joy to work on these classic tales with Kanwal and Sarmad Khoosat because we have collaborated with them before and they always approach a project with a certain artistic sensitivity and deep respect for the material they are working with. Their sensibility was needed for a project as unique as this,” Chief Creative Officer – Special Projects at Zee Network, Shailka Kejriwal, was quoted as saying.
Director and actor Sarmad Khoosat stated the series is inspired by ‘Dastangoi’, a tradition of creating and telling stories that defines South Asia.
“We have interpreted ‘Dastangoi’ in a contemporary way and there is also live and recorded music along with suggestive details articulating the theme of the story. For instance, when I directed Mahira Khan for the story ‘Guriya‘, the set was strewn with dolls that in a way told their own story. They created an eerie atmosphere that augmented the narration and enhanced the inherent mood of the reading,” he explained.
Other than Mahira Khan and Sarmad Khoosat, several Pakistani artists such as Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, Fawad Khan, Sania Saeed, Irfan Khoosat, Yasra Rizvi, Samiya Mumtaz, and Faisal Qureshi among others will be part of the series.
Through the series, art fanatics 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.
