| Bee Gul | |
| Birth Name: | Bee Gul |
| Birth Place: | Lahore, Punjab,Pakistan |
| Occupation: | screenwriter and director |
| Alma Mater: | Kinnaird College for Women University |
| Years Active: | 2010-present |
| Notable Works: | Talkhiyaan, Pehchaan, Kaun Qamar Ara, Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila and Raqeeb Se |
Bee Gul (ur|{{Nastaliq|بی گل) is a Pakistani screenwriter and director. She wrote films and TV plays like Talkhiyaan,[1] [2] Pehchaan,[3] Kaun Qamar Ara, Firdous ki Dozakh,[4] most notably Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila and Raqeeb Se for HUM TV.[5]
With a pen sharper than wit itself, Bee Gul weaves tales that pierce the veil of reality, exposing the complexities of human experience. Her characters, like tangled threads in a weaver's loom, embody the contradictions that color our lives - love laced with bitterness, tradition wrestling with progress.[6] Her work is often described as artsy.[7] Gul's artistic lens focuses on the plight of the Pakistani woman, a warrior navigating a society steeped in unspoken rules. Through her heroines, she celebrates the indomitable spirit that burns bright even in the face of oppression.[8] Additionally, Bee Gul is a visiting lecturer at the National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore and serves as a member of the NCA's Board of Studies.
Gul's writing debut was marked by the television film, Kaun Qamar Aara, which premiered at Hum TV's 2nd Telefilms Festival. Set against the backdrop of British India, this one-hour telefilm weaves the poignant tale of a husband and wife, played by Shakeel and Faiza Hassan. The film received nominations in every category at the 2nd Hum Telefilm Awards,[9] with Gul taking home the Best Telefilm Writer Award.[10]
Gul then brought Arundhati Roy's bestselling novel, The God of Small Things, to life as the TV series Talkhiyaan. The show's opening theme was inspired by Sahir Ludhianvi's poem,[11] while the title itself was a nod to Ludhianvi's book of the same name. An Express Tribune based reviewer stated it as "an excellent adaptation barring a few false notes" and further wrote, "Gul managed to rework the book The God of Small Things in a really poetic way".[12] Gul also received a Best Television Writer nomination at the 4th Pakistan Media Awards.[13]
Gul's second series, Pehchaan, which aired on A-Plus TV in 2014, remains her personal favorite work. The series tells the unconventional story of a man who marries his mistress, after helping her escape an abusive marriage, in addition to his existing wife. Through Pehchaan, Gul feels that she empowered a simple housewife.
Her next project was Zid which was about a woman who resists forced marriage and societal pressure. Gul cited producer pressure as undermining the series creative potential, leading to critical failure.
For her writing of Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila, Gul won the Best Television Writer award at the 18th Lux Style Awards.[14] The series is about the disturbing truth about sexual predators who hide in plain sight, in normal households. During its broadcast, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) issued a notice to the series for its portrayal of assault, deeming it "an uncomfortable watch" to which Gul responded, "such projects never become a comfortable watch".[15]
Gul then opted for a more meaningful subject, rather than to tackling a social issue, and crafted the poetic romance Raqeeb Se, a tale of romance whose consequences are stretched around one's entire life.[16] Despite the widespread critical acclaim of the script, the DAWN Images listed the series among the "Toxic love stories" and criticised its portrayal of love and glamorizing unhealthy relationships.[17] Nevertheless, Gul was nominated at the 21st Lux Style Awards as a Best Television Writer.
In 2022, Gul transitioned to the big screen with the release of Intezaar, reuniting with director Sakina Samo after Kaun Qamar Ara.[18] The film explores themes of isolation, separation, and mortality through the lens of a fractured family, earning positive reviews from critics.[19]
Gul's next project was Working Women, broadcast on Green Entertainment in 2023, a story of six women who trying to make it big in a male-dominated society. Gul described the story of the series as "open like Lahore’s roads and Lahoris’ hearts.".[20]
In 2024, Gul's short film Jamun Ka Darakht (The Java Plum Tree) won numerous global accolades, including Best Social Justice Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, Best Human Rights Short Film Prize at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and Outstanding Achievement for Indie Short at the LA Shorts Fest, further solidifying her international acclaim.[21]
| Denotes films that have not been released yet |
| Year | Title | Director(s) | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Laloolal.com | Khalid Ahmed | streamed on ZEE5 | [22] | |
| 2022 | Intezaar | Sakina Samo | |||
| 2024 | Jamun Ka Darakht | Rafay Rashdi | Short film | [23] |
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Kaun Qamar Ara | Telefilm |
| 2012-2013 | Talkhiyaan | Adaptation on Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things [24] |
| 2012 | Firdous ki Dozakh | Telefilm |
| 2013-2014 | Ain | |
| 2013 | Chup ka Shor | Telefilm[25] |
| 2013-2014 | Kitni Girhain Baaki Hain | |
| 2014 | Pehchaan | [26] |
| 2014-2015 | Zid | [27] |
| 2017 | Janaat | |
| 2017-2018 | Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila | |
| 2018 | Dilara | Adaptation of Munshi Premchand's Nirmala |
| 2021 | Raqeeb Se | |
| 2023 | Working Women | |
| 2024 | Standup Girl | Script supervisor |
| Hum Dono | [28] |
| Title | Description | Premiere | Venue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badshahat Ka Khatima | based on Saadat Hassan Manto's eponymous short story, Directed by Khalid Ahmed | 2013 | National Academy of Performing Arts | [29] | |
| Bedroom Conversations | Directed by Khalid Ahmed | 2019 | National Academy of Performing Arts | [30] | |
| Kal Agar Main Marjaoun | Directed by Khalid Ahmed | 2021 | Vasl Productions | [31] |
| Ceremony | Category | Project | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Pakistan Media Awards | Best Television Writer | Talkhiyaan | ||
| 18th Lux Style Awards | Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila | |||
| 21st Lux Style Awards | Raqeeb Se | [32] |