Since
its
inception
in
2015,
Zee
Theatre
has
been
at
the
forefront
of
curating
and
screening
dramatic
masterpieces
for
a
global
audience.
The
pioneering
platform
now
announces
Yaar
Julahay,
a
series
of
dramatic
readings
spread
across
12
engrossing
episodes
on
their
partner
DTH
platforms-
Tatasky
Theatre,
Airtel
Spotlight,
Dish
TV
and
D2h
Rangmanch
Active.
The
name
of
the
series
is
inspired
by
a
Gulzar
poem
and
pays
tribute
to
writers
who
craft
stories
with
the
deftness
of
master
weavers.
The
first
episode
featuring
Mahira
Khan
will
air
on
May
15,
2021
on
Tata
Sky
Theatre
at
2
pm
and
8
pm.
Mahira
will
be
reading
Ahmad
Nadeem
Qasmi's
classic
story,
Guriya.
Guriya
highlights
the
story
of
two
best
friends-
Mehra
and
Bano.
Bano
has
a
doll
(Guriya)
that
resembles
Mehra
but
Mehra
doesn't
like
that
doll
at
all.
With
time
their
fondness
and
hate
for
the
doll
grows
many
folds.
Towards
the
end
comes
an
unorthodox
twist
to
the
storyline
that
subtly
unfolds
the
mystery
around
the
doll.
Yaar
Julahay
also
brings
to
life
the
stories
of
progressive
Urdu
and
Hindi
writers
like
Gulzar,
Saadat
Hasan
Manto,
Ismat
Chughtai,
Munshi
Premchand,
Amrita
Pritam,
Qurratulain
Haider,
Balwant
Singh,
Asad
Muhammad
Khan,
Ghulam
Abbas,
Rajinder
Singh
Bedi
and
Intezar
Hussain.
The
readers
will
be
stars
like
Sarmad
Khoosat,
Sarwat
Gilani,
Nimra
Bucha,
Fawad
Khan,
Sania
Saeed,
Irfan
Khoosat,
Yasra
Rizvi,
Samiya
Mumtaz
and
Faisal
Qureshi.
Shailja
Kejriwal,
Chief
Creative
Officer-
Special
Projects,
ZEEL
says,
"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."
Acclaimed
director
and
actor
Sarmad
Khoosat
says
the
series
is
inspired
by
'Dastangoi',
a
tradition
of
creating
and
telling
stories
that
defines
South
Asia.
He
explains,
"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."
Director
Kanwal
Khoosat
adds,
"This
series
attempts
to
introduce
a
newer
audience
to
literature
through
a
format
that
blends
'Dastangoi'
with
the
Chamber
Theatre
technique
where
a
reader
has
an
environment,
a
minimal
stage
setting
to
not
just
read
in
but
to
perform,
interpret
and
deliver
a
story
in.
In
each
reading,
we
have
tried
to
maintain
the
integrity
of
the
author's
voice
even
as
we
amplify
it
through
the
digital
medium
to
reach
as
many
people
as
possible."
Watch
Yaar
Julahay's
first
episode
featuring
Mahira
Khan
on
May
15,
2021
on
Tatasky
Theatre.