'Tanhaiyaan' stars thrilled the Pakistani TV show will air in Saudi Arabia

Asif Raza Mir, Behroz Sabzwari and Marina Khan photographed in an ad campaign for 'Tanhaiyaan' sequel 'Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay' (Photo Credit: Olpers)

Asif Raza Mir as Zain in Tanhaiyaan Naye Silsilay (Photo Credit: Mangobaaz)

Marina Khan who played Sanya in 'Tanhaiyaan' says she is happy that the show and its iconic characters have not been forgotten (Photo Credit: Mangobaaz)

Behroz Sabzwari as Qutbuddin in Tanhaiyaan (Photo Credit: Mangobaaz)

• Pakistan Television has picked two cult classics, Dhoop Kinare and Tanhaiyaan, for broadcast in the Kingdom
• Actor Behroze Subzwari says airing Pakistani shows in Saudi Arabia “good start to a cultural exchange”

ISLAMABAD: The stars of a hit Pakistani TV series that will air in Saudi Arabia later this year said they were thrilled the government had chosen to recognize their work by broadcasting it in a friendly Muslim country.
Last month, Pakistan’s state television said two popular dramas, Dhoop Kinare (Sunlight’s Edge) and Tanhaiyaan (Loneliness), were being subtitled in Arabic and would be broadcast in Saudi Arabia in June.
“This news [is] pure happiness for me and [has] made me feel very proud,” veteran actor Behroze Sabzwari, who played the iconic Qutbutdin character in Tanhaiyaan, told Arab News. “Thirty years later, to hear Tanhaiyaan is going to get dubbed in the Arabic language and will grace Saudi screens is news that makes me and my family feel honored.”
Tanhaiyaan, which aired in 1986, follows the trials and tribulations of two sisters who are forced to move in with their aunt after their parents die in an accident.
When asked why the government had picked an old drama for Saudi screens rather than a more recent one, Shazia Sikandar, the director of international relations at Pakistan Television, said: “Tanhaiyan was our classic drama and we can call it evergreen, that is why we selected this in the initial phase. We may choose other series from newer ones too.”
Sabzwari said Tanhaiyaan was a “perfect” choice because it accurately portrayed Pakistan’s culture and values and “will be a good start to a cultural exchange.”
“It’s a great step from the Pakistani government and the Saudis as well,” Subzwari said. “Exchange of art always deepens relationships.”
Tanhaiyaan star Marina Khan said it felt good to know that the TV show and its characters had not been forgotten and appreciated the government for a “good initiative.”
“We need to do this on a regular basis with all our popular plays,” she said.
The show got a reboot in 2015 with the Tanhaiyan Naye Silsilay sequel, which reunited the stars of the original series and also cast new star Asif Raza Mir.
“It’s a great feeling that this drama continues to resonate and is a cult hit,” Mir said, adding that he was happy to hear that the show would be broadcast in Saudi Arabia. “Tanhaiyaan is a timeless classic and I am sure Saudi audiences will enjoy it.”