SRINAGAR: Pakistani drama series Dhoop Ki Deewar surrounding tumultuous relations between India-Pakistan on the border has landed into controversy, courtesy Kashmir. Umera Ahmad, its writer, who is a prominent novelist has been roasted to the extent that she has fled from Twitter.
The drama series, scheduled to go on-air on June 25, will be broadcasted in India on the Over The Top (OTT) platform Zee-5. The trailer featuring famous actors Sajal Aly as Sara from Pakistan and Ahad Raza Mir as Vishal from India portrays the story of two families who lose their loved ones along the Line of Control (LoC). The three-minute clip draws parallels of an India-Pakistan cricket match as well as a clash on the border.
Both the characters lose their fathers in the border firing and share their grief through social media leading to their friendship much to the surprise and shock of their families. The video starts with a blame game where the two characters separated by a line give interviews and talk about how their families were destroyed because of the India-Pakistan conflict.
Tweeple, a new word for twitter people, mostly Kashmiris took to the social media platform to hit out at the drama series for portraying the Kashmiris as “terrorists”.
“In all the bookshops in Kashmir, you will find Novels of Umera Ahmed. In the 90s great Naseem Hijazi was a household name in Kashmir. But from last few years if I’m not wrong Umera a is a very popular name, by writing dhoop ki deewar she proved she can write trash for ISPR as well,” Darvesh, a Twitter user from Kashmir, wrote. “The clarification she (Writer) has given proves she knows nothing about Kashmir.”
Another user under the name Meesha wrote, “I just hope that dhoop ki deewar doesn’t justify the wrongdoings happening in Kashmir or stay neutral on it because the whole heart over hate campaign is highly unfair to a Kashmiri if that’s the case.”
Following a backlash and dhop ki deewar hash-tag trending with negative comments, the writer Umera Ahmed released a statement clarifying her stand. However, she later deactivated her account.
In her statement, the writer said that her prime intention was to highlight humanity and not a romantic relationship between a Hindu boy and a Muslim girl.
She said that she had sent the script of the series for approval to the media wing of Pakistan armed forces, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in 2019. She said ISPR approved the list and fully supported her. They also invited her to the office and discussed the project.
She said Dhoop Ki Deewar is a social tragedy and it is about people whose family members sacrificed their lives for their respective nations. – ‘Families have to face challenges and this story is dealing with those problems on a broader scale.
She said she is in support of Aman Ki Asha and is promoting it. “Is hoping for peace a criminal act or a sin? Our religion is all about peace and safety. There is nothing wrong with talking about peace.”
The Sialkot born, Umera Ahmad is a prominent Pakistani writer whose TV serials are hugely popular. These include Zindagi Gulzar Hai, and Meri Zaat Zarra-e-Benishan. She is credited for creating Pakistan’s first commercial platform for the writers’ named Alif Kitab that she landed in a controversy over Kashmir.
