Despite never having visited India, Pakistani actor Sanam Saeed has found a loyal fan base in the country. Saeed is feeling all the love from across the border after her show Barzakh, recently premiered on an Indian television channel.

“The feedback has been quite overwhelming and exactly what we hoped for,” the actor says, talking about the reactions the show has received. “People are really intrigued and have slowly understood that this is not a show that they can just binge watch. It’s something that they have to really focus on,” she adds.

Ask about her love for India and the 39-year-old replies, “[Indians are] like my long lost siblings. Essentially, we are of the same land and blood in many ways, we just grew up differently over the years.”

Saeed also feels that the show and others like it have been “eye-opening” for audiences here: “We (Pakistanis) are accustomed to Indian cultures and we are used to seeing what Indians are like through Bollywood, but Indians had not seen us. It was this really beautiful exchange that happened where they got insights into [what Pakistan is like].”

While the Uri terror attacks in 2016 strained ties between both countries and halted the exchange of talent between the Indian and Pakistani entertainment industries, Saeed remains optimistic that things will turn around. “I never came to India to work, so I cannot say that I miss it because I haven’t experienced it,” she admits.

“The fact that we are on Indian OTT platforms is a huge feat in itself. Baaki, when actors from the other side of the border feel confident and safe enough to act with us and once things change, then that exchange will definitely happen. We have had festivals where Indian actors came to Pakistan and we’ve had our superstars go to India and act. So, it’s just a matter of time when art and culture can merge again,” she ends.