A Fresh Perspective

She has been a part of the television industry for over a decade, having written a variety of shows, including the popular Sanjeevni on Star Plus and Rishtey on Zee. Gul Khan then turned producer in 2008 and her company 4 Lions has made several shows across a number of channels, including Geet on Star One, Arjun and Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? on Star Plus, and Humse Hai Life and Surveen Guggal on Channel V.

However, throughout her career, Khan noticed that hardly any shows have a Muslim protagonist or use the community's milieu as backdrop. This fact inspired Khan to create a social drama that would address the community. Titled Qubool Hai, it will go on air on Zee, starting October 29. "There are several misconceptions regarding Islam, such as the general view about women's rights. I hope my show — which represents a mix of traditional and contemporary — will help clear those," says Khan.

Seen through the eyes of the protagonist, the story revolves around her relationship with brothers Ayaan and Asad. A modern Muslim NRI girl, Zoya (played by Punjabi actress Surabhi Jyoti) has been brought up by her cousin sister and brother-in-law after she was abandoned by her father. Although devout, she detests hypocrisy and questions tradition.

Ayaan and Asad, on the other hand, belong to a conservative family. While Ayaan, played by debutant Rishabh Sinha, is a young man who wears his heart on his sleeve, Asad's single-minded focus is his career.

Portrayed by popular television actor Karan Singh Grover, Asad's character is that of an intense, brooding man.

The three characters come together when Zoya finds herself married to one of the brothers and ends up in a family that blindly follows tradition. The show chronicles her struggle thereafter. Despite the nature of the story, the show's narrative remains light-hearted, chiefly due to Zoya's spunky character. "Qubool Hai is atypical of the archaic and old-school perception of Islam because of the manner in which Zoya embraces the codes of her culture and yet does not get tied down by the extremities that the society imposes," explains Sukesh Motwani, fiction head, Zee. "Zoya is a girl-next door — talkative and grounded — yet she has very strong views on matters close to her heart," adds Jyoti.

... contd.

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