Khuda Mera Bhi Hai

Pakistani television serial

Khuda Mera Bhi Hai

Genre	Drama
Written by	Asma Nabeel
Directed by	Shahid Shafaat
Starring	Ayesha Khan Syed Jibran Furqan Qureshi Saba Hamid Alyy Khan Mehmood Aslam Hira Tareen Imran Ashraf Irsa Ghazal Mariam Saleem
Country of origin	Pakistan
Original language	Urdu
No. of episodes	26
Production
Producer	Sana Shahnawaz
Production locations	Karachi, Sindh
Running time	35-38 minutes
Production companies	Six Sigma Plus Next Level Entertainment
Original release
Network	ARY Digital
Release	22 October 2016 (2016-10-22) – 10 April 2017 (2017-04-10)

Khuda Mera Bhi Hai (Urdu: خدا میرا بھی ہے transl. God is mine too) is a Pakistani drama serial that aired on ARY Digital from 22 October 2016 to 10 April 2017.^[1] The serial is written by Asma Nabeel, directed by Shahid Shafaat and produced by Sana Shahnawaz.^[2]^[3] The title soundtrack has been composed and sung by Waqar Ali.^[3] It stars Ayesha Khan, Syed Jibran, Furqan Qureshi, Saba Hamid, Alyy Khan, Mehmood Aslam, Hira Tareen and others.^[3]

Overview

The drama revolves around Mahagul (played by Ayesha Khan), a mother who gives birth to an intersex child named Noor (played by Furqan Qureshi), and the resulting challenges she faces in her family and society – where acceptance of the third gender remains a taboo.^[4] Noor's father, Zain (played by Syed Jibran) refuses to accept the baby and separates from his mother.^[2]

Mahagul is a conscientious, strong woman who envisions equal opportunities and fair treatment for her child like any other normal being. She provides him a privileged upbringing and education while challenging societal norms.^[2]^[5]^[6] She is joined in her mission by Noor's tutor Mikaeel (played by Alyy Khan), who becomes his caretaker and treats him like his own son.^[2] Mikaeel also develops feelings for Mahagul.^[5]

The serial sheds light on the stereotypes, gender discrimination and marginalisation that intersex people face within Pakistani society, and their identity crisis.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Cast

Ayesha Khan as Mahagul, the mother of an intersex child named Noor
Syed Jibran as Zain, Mahagul's divorced husband and father of Noor^[2]
Furqan Qureshi as Noor, the intersex character and protagonist^[7]
Saba Hamid as Savera, Mahagul's mother and the leader of an NGO^[10]
Alyy Khan as Mikaeel, Noor's tutor and caretaker^[2]
Hira Tareen as Kashmala, Zain's second wife^[2]
Mehmood Aslam as Hassan, Zain's father^[11]
Irsa Ghazal as Arshi, Zain's mother^[12]
Imran Ashraf as Zaahir, Zain's younger brother and Noor's paternal uncle^[3]^[6]
Mariam Saleem as Sanam, Mahagul's best friend and Zaahir's love interest^[3]^[6]
Tabbasum Arif as Hina, Sanam's mother

Reception

Critical reception

The serial has received critical acclaim for its bold story line, and the "important questions" it raises regarding communal attitudes towards transgender people in Pakistan.^[3]^[13]^[14] Mahwash Badar of The Express Tribune called it a "game changer", while praising the themes touched by the drama such as "domestic abuse, how divorce is considered taboo, social pressures, and most importantly, the rights of transgender people and intersex individuals in the Pakistani society."^[12] While reviewing negatively, The News commented that the series lacked the depth and sensitivity required to deal with the subject.^[15]

References

^ "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai". ARY Digital. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai". ARY Digital. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai raises important questions". The Nation. 5 April 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ "Ayesha Khan's Khuda Mera Bhi Hai will highlight a social taboo". The Express Tribune. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b Awan, Fatima (1 April 2017). "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai Episode 24 Review – Sadness Overloaded!". ReviewIt.pk. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Has ARY's 'Khuda Mera Bhi Hai' Missed Its Mark?". Very Filmi. January 2017. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b Tahir, Mariam (26 February 2017). "Furqan Qureshi: The real star in 'Khuda Mera Bhi Hai'". Something Haute. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Khan, Saira (5 February 2017). "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai Episode Review: Furqan Qureshi's character will make you emotional!". Hip in Pakistan. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Badar, Mahwash (26 November 2016). "The most recent episode of Khuda Mera Bhi Hai made me cry". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Badar, Mahwash (5 November 2016). "Khuda Mera Bhi hai is definitely worth a watch". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai– Exclusive ARY Digital Drama". ARY Digital. November 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ ^a ^b Badar, Mahwash (6 April 2017). "Khuda Mera Bhi Hai: A game changer for Pakistan's dramasphere". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Hasan, Mehreen (9 October 2016). "This TV drama will explore a long-ignored taboo topic: intersex children". Dawn. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Isani, Aamna Haider (14 March 2017). "Why is everyone crying on TV?". The News. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
^ Buraq Shabbir (24 September 2017). "Can Pakistani dramas move beyond domestic issues?". The News. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Ayesha Khan-starrer Khuda Mera Bhi Hai that followed the story of a transgender lacked the sensitivity and depth required to deal with the subject with some technical flaws here and there.