ZEE5 sets premiere date for Zindagi original 'Dhoop Ki Deewar'

Streaming platform ZEE5 on Wednesday announced that its latest Zindagi original, "Dhoop Ki Deewar" is slated to be released on June 25.

Starring Pakistani actor couple Sajal Aly and Ahad Raza Mir, "Dhoop Ki Deewar" is a cross-border story of love, family and loss.

The show chronicles the story of Vishal (Mir) from India and Sara, played by Aly, from Pakistan, who find their lives interconnected after losing their fathers in war. Their shared grief becomes a foundation of their friendship.

While Aly is known for her starring turns in the Sridevi-fronted feature film "Mom" and the telefilm "Behadd", Mir has appeared in serials like "Sammi" and "Ehd-e-Wafa".

"Dhoop Ki Deewar" is helmed by Haseeb Hasan and written by Umera Ahmed, best known for penning the hit show "Zindagi Gulzar Hai", starring Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed.

Hasan said the show is a reflection of positivity "beyond borders, religion and societal biases".

"The sole essence of the show lies in the simplicity of its narrative. In the show a subject such as a cross border love story has been dealt with so differently and has an underlying message of peace, harmony and joy of life," the director said in a statement.

Ahmed said "Dhoop Ki Deewar" draws inspiration from the thought that grief transcends borders and barriers.

"No matter which country, religion or belief you belong to at the end of the day the grief lived is the same everywhere and it is much bigger than you and me. It is a story of love, grief and loss that people across borders and overseas can relate to on a human level," the writer said.

The series, produced by Motion Content Group and Hamdan Films, also stars Samiya Mumtaz, Zaib Rehman, Savera Nadeem, Samina Ahmed, Manzar Sehbai, Raza Talish, Aly Khan, Adnan Jaffar among others.

Ateeq Rehman, Chief Investment Officer, Group M Pakistan, described the series as an attempt by the makers to push the envelope.

"It's never easy when you go against all odds to do something that has never been done in your market and 'Dhoop Ki Deewar' is one of those initiatives for us at Motion & GroupM Pakistan. We believe that as thought and market leaders, the onus is on us to continue pushing the envelope.

"The journey required a lot of efforts put in from the team and the way we sailed through it was commendable. 'Dhoop Ki Deewar' is a story of love and loss that talks about peace," Rehman said.

The show is the third Zindagi original, after Asim Abbasi's hit thriller drama "Churails" and comedy drama "Ek Jhoothi Love Story", which was also penned by Ahmed.