Dhoop ki Deewar, a Pakistani web series on cross-border romance, has been facing backlash since the release of its trailer. It was released on June 14 and received an overwhelming response on social media. It stars Sajal Ali and Ahad Raza in the lead, marking their first project together since their marriage.

The plot of Dhoop ki Deewar revolves around two lovers from Pakistan and India amid rising tensions between the two states. The trailer opens with clashes along the Line of Control and a Pakistan-India cricket match. Ahad plays Vishal and Sajal Sara.

Immediately after the release after trailer they were calls to ban the series and it became the top trend on Twitter. There were several allegations, including of betrayal and disregarding the Two Nation Theory, were levelled against Umera Ahmed. Many people are accusing her of producing content for Indian channels for “more money”.

“When I started working on Dhoop ki Deewar in 2019, I sent the story to the Inter-Services Public Relations,” the novelist said. “I asked the team for its evaluation so that I would edit out anything objectionable in the story.”

Even the ISPR called Umera Ahmed to Rawalpindi to have a word with her and to know about her stance on Pakistan- India relationship. It will be available for streaming on Zindagi by ZEE5 on June 25. Umera has said that once the series has streams internationally, it will be aired on Pakistani news channels.

“Dhoop ki Deewar is not about the Kashmir crisis,” said writer Umera Ahmed in a series of posts in response to criticism. “And if it mentions Kashmir, it is by location because most of our soldiers [Pakistani and Indian] are fighting each other along the Line of Control.” Umera holds the same views as other Pakistanis when it comes to Kashmir that it should be resolved at the United Nations, she added.

What do you think about the ban and the web series?