There are hardly a handful of films and television shows in recent years that have explored how magical realism can be used as a premise to tell love stories. The last Hindi movie that went from being a cheesy love story to a transcended one was Sajid Ali’s Laila Majnu, which had an amazing second half and a soundtrack that could not be forgotten for years to come. Barzakh, which broadly means life after death, is the new “Zee5 Global” original that explores the relationship dynamics between two people deeply in love and how the death of one of them may affect the other.
Spoilers Ahead
Were Mahtab and Jaffer in love?
Barzakh episode 1 began when Jaffer and Mahtab were young. They woke up next to each other under a beautiful chinar tree. It would appear they might have made love under the tree and were also enjoying some of the mangoes that they’d plucked. Jaffer was excited about heading to the city for work, and more than that, he had promised to come back with a gold necklace for Mahtab. Mahtab and Jaffer had been in love for a while, and she appeared to have become very spiritual about the love they shared with each other. She believed they were inseparable, which implied that they came together as a pair of lovers who were meant for each other. Jaffer believed in it too, and he had promised to build her a home named “Mahtab Mahal.”
Why was Shehryar back to meet his father?
Many years later, Shehryar, the youngest son of Jaffer Khanzade, was on his way back to the hotel in ‘Nowhere Land’, a one-of-a-kind resort run by his father. Jaffer Khanzade is the same person who was seen in the prologue heading to the city to earn enough and come back to live the life he had planned with Mahtab. There was no indication of Jaffer marrying Mahtab or if Shehryar was his son from another marriage. At the hotel which was initially named Mahtab Mahal, Shehryar and his son were discussing his father’s invitation to his third marriage to Mahtab. Shehryar was clueless about what the patriarch was now up to. On reaching the hotel, Shehryar’s son became quick friends with Scheherazade, the caretaker of the property, who was also given the responsibility of taking care of the aging Jaffer who was planning to get married. The first episode was the story of the estranged family coming back together after a long gap, and in a matter of a few hours all were trying to get accustomed to each other. Shehryar probably wanted to know if his father was stable and looked forward to meeting the bride.
Who was Scheherazade?
Scheherazade, as mentioned above, was a person who seemed to have been close to Jaffer, the owner of the resort, for a very long time. She also happened to be Jaffer’s shadow and was aware of what needed to be done for his wellbeing and his property. She was treated like his daughter, and was aware the upcoming wedding might stir up some concerns and issues, and that not everyone would be able to comprehend the reason behind the wedding. Scheherazade was the only confident person who somehow believed the wedding would be a success.
What was the protest happening at Mahtab Mahal?
Shehryar, on his return, saw the protest being carried out by the locals. They were protesting about the land being purchased, which held the ancient burial grounds of their ancestors. There were many people who were against Jaffer’s plans to purchase more of that land and probably wanted to offer their last prayers to the ancestors buried. Jaffer, the patriarch, was rather rude about the locals making a big fuss out of it, but he was unable to understand the significance of the land that belonged to their ancestors, and how their blessing meant something for the locals. The staff at the hotel, including Scheherazade, was taken aback by the nature of the protests, but Jaffer Khanzade was unperturbed. There was a spiritual angle to the protest, which the owner of the property was unable to understand.
Why was Saifullah angry at his father?
Saifullah was the oldest son of Jaffer Khanzaade, who, just like Shehryar, had arrived to attend the wedding of his father. The oldest son was feeling weird that his 65-year-old father decided to get married to the love of his life after all these years. This was supposed to be his third marriage, and the children might be slightly embarrassed by this wedding.
Saifullah was always accompanied by an angel who wore a pink dress. The woman was a figment of his imagination, and it was only he who could watch how upset the angel was, and it seemed to have bothered him as well. It was during dinner that Saifullah had begun to break down, and it was soon understood that while his own father had not attended the funeral of his son’s wife, he expected them to attend his marriage. It was understood that the angel, who only he could see, was his deceased wife, and she carried a large stone on her back, which could be a symbol of the burden of being a spouse. There was a history between Saifullah and his late wife that was not disclosed. He claimed she passed because of loneliness, and there was a sense of sadness when he spoke about her. Saifullah, on arrival, was also attracted to the chef of the restaurant and the residence, and it was believed he could be closeted homosexual, which was the reason behind his wife’s loneliness and her eventual passing.
What was the plan for the wedding?
As Scheherazade mentioned, there was a hike the family must take to the top of the mountain. On the night of the wedding there was supposed to be a lunar eclipse, and they were expecting to witness a red moon. The union of two souls on the day of the red moon and there was a spiritual significance to getting married on that day, and the sons were unable to wrap their minds around this strange phenomenon their father was familiar with.
Has anyone seen Mahtab?
The family dinner was attended by Jaffer’s brother, who wanted to give everyone a reality check on who Mahtab was. Jaffer was angry and volatile, and the thought that the wedding was a tad bit dramatic for his children had not crossed his mind. It was the brother who revealed the truth of Mahtab’s existence to everyone. The woman was not alive, and yet Jaffer claimed to be getting married to the soul of Mahtab on the night of the lunar eclipse. According to the ‘book of nowhere’, he felt both worlds would collide if a mortal married a soul on the designated day. Jaffer was angry at his brother’s revelation, and the children were flabbergasted at what they heard and were unable to come to terms with the news.
What did Jaffer find on reaching his hometown?
Jaffer’s brother broke the news to the family – Mahtab was not alive. As the episode headed towards the end, there was an image of a young Mahtab who wore bloodied clothing. The episode ended with a flashback scene of Jaffer’s return to his hometown after years of working hard. He was back to seek out Mahtab, who had not replied to any of the letters he had sent. The man was back to find that Mahtab had passed away, and he was guided to her grave below a tree. It could be assumed that the older Jaffer’s image of a blood-soaked Mahtab could be an indication that she had gotten pregnant with Jaffer’s child and probably committed suicide to avoid being shamed by society. They were from an era that would ostracize her for getting pregnant out of wedlock. Jaffer was probably ridden with guilt for not having been there for her, and she was forced to take a step like that. The guilt probably stayed with him for years until this day. The wedding was a part of him wanting to be there for her one last time and prove his love for her in the mortal world.
The last shot of Barzakh episode 1 takes place in the current timeline. The chef was offering the dessert he prepared for everyone at the hotel. He was the only person who was the happiest in the property as the situation was becoming tense by the hour. His dessert was made from the batch of mangoes gifted by Saifullah. As the desserts were served, the angel was seen eating the last plate of the desert and we believe this fruit might have a significance as the story progresses.