Jalandhar’s Surbhi Jyoti makes her Hindi television debut with Zee TV’s Qabool Hai

Jalandhar’s Surbhi Jyoti has bagged the role of a Muslim girl Zoya in Zee TV’s upcoming show `Qubool Hai.’ Surbhi is not new to the entertainment industry despite Qubool Hai being her debut on Hindi television. The spunky Punjabi kudi from Jalandhar, she is a very popular face in Punjab and on Punjabi television.  With a background in theatre, Surbhi has also played the lead roles in a super hit Punjabi movie, ‘Raula Pai Gaya’ and a soap, ‘KACHDIYAN WANGAN on ZETC Punjabi alngwith being the anchor of many shows.

Zee TV’s upcoming offering, ‘Qubool Hai’, presents an inter-generational family saga set in the Muslim milieu!  It explores the lives of three individuals (Zoya, Ayan and Asad) who are starkly different from each other and yet their lives are beautifully entwined by the threads of destiny. Zoya is a modern, vibrant, new- age girl who questions stereo types. Ayan, is a happy-go-lucky boy without a care in the world. And the angry youngman, Asad’s  sole purpose in life is to become successful.  It is not often that viewers get a slice of Urdu-speaking people’s life on television.  Qubool Hai is a mixture of drama and romance showcasing Muslim culture and values in a modern setting.

Talking about the aim of the show, producer Gul Khan of Four Lions Productions said, “With Qubool Hai, I want to remove misconceptions regarding Islam in the minds of people. There are many myths like women don’t have rights in Muslim families, they don’t get proper education, etc. But I want to showcase, among many other things, that women inIslam have equal rights as men to get educated. It is a refreshing story that revolves around the life of a progressive Muslim girl and a modern Muslim family. The protagonist Zoya, is an intelligent young girl who derives her strength from the Holy Quran. The show highlights empowerment of women in Muslim society.”

The show introduces the vivacious Surbhi Jyoti as alead protagonist, Zoya. 

Surbhi says, “I have to say that Zoya’s character is a dream role for me. I couldn’t have asked for a better launch pad. There are far too many similarities between Zoya and me. Both are talkative and come across as the ‘girl next door’ with no frills, tensions or complications yet deep within we are both serious, opinionated and have strong views on subjects that are close to our hearts. The biggest similarity between Zoya and me is truly amazing! We are both ardent cricket fans. I remember my entire family watching serials on TV while I would watch cricket in my room. I  know more about cricket than most other guys.”

Surbhi had to go through the entire casting rigmarole– screen test, audition and look test to bag the lead role. “We had endless meetings discussing the finer nuances of the character including getting the Urdu diction and dialogue delivery right. Though my educational background, Masters in English, helped me understand phonetics and pick up the intonation rather quickly. I have been a champion debater in college...so, needless to say, being talkative or argumentative comes naturally to me,” says the attractive actor with a twinkle in her eyes.