Mahira Khan, Sarwat Gilani to read stories by famed writers in a series

Yaar Julahay, a series of dramatic readings that bring to life stories by legendary writers from the Indian subcontinent such as Gulzar, Saadat Hasan Manto, Ismat Chughtai, and Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi, will air on Zindagi channel's DTH services on June 3.

Pakistani stars Mahira Khan, Sarwat Gilani, Nimra Bucha, and Faysal Quraishi will turn storytellers for each of the stories by these four Urdu and Hindi writers, a press release stated.

The four episodes of Yaar Julahay will premiere over four weekends through June on Zindagi's DTH platforms such as Tata Sky, Dish TV, D2H, and Airtel.

Khan, star of Humsafar and Raees, features in the first episode of the show in which she will read Qasmi's classic story, Guriya.

"Guriya narrates the story of two best friends - Bano and Mehra. The former has a doll named Guriya that looks just like Mehra, but Mehra has no interest in the doll at all. Their love and contempt for the doll build up over time. An unexpected turn that occurs at the conclusion reveals the doll's mystery," read the synopsis of the episode.

The second episode, which will run through June 9 and 10, will see Bucha read Mughal Bachcha, a short story by Padma Shri recipient Chughtai. It follows Kalay Mian, a dark-skinned guy, and his beautiful bride Gori Bi.

"Kalay Mian is unable to set aside his ego and inferiority complex for a happy married life," the makers said.

Bucha, known for Churails and Ms Marvel, said Mughal Bacha is a fairy tale for grown-ups.

"Performing it made me feel like a child at play, with Ismat Chughtai looking on and reminding me that I was a grown-up now. That I was the witch and I was the knight and all of it. It is a love story that spans ages in all its perversity. And like all love stories, it is ambitious and hopeless and timeless," she added.

For the third episode, her Churails co-star Gilani will read Gulzar's Sunset Boulevard, which will be aired on June 16 and June 17.

Gilani described the short story as "one of Gulzar Saab's finest works".

"When Sunset Boulevard came to me, I could resonate with it because I love stories and characters which have something to say about the common man. The classic literary pieces and the characters in this story are so beautiful," she said.

The fourth and final episode of the series will be presented by Quraishi, who will read Manto's story Ghusal Khana, a story of a boy whose prayers get heard only when he prays in the bathroom.

Yaar Julahay will air at 12 noon and 5 pm on Zindagi's DTH platforms.