Roushni Sarkar
Kolkata, 11 Dec 2021 11:38 IST
The well-written series boasts of power-packed performances by the entire cast, though it gains momentum and intensity a little late.
The Zee5 original web-series Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam, directed by British Asian filmmaker Meenu Gaur, presents an audacious alternative narrative to how women and their strength are perceived in a patriarchal setting. The collage of stories, woven with the contrasting elements of entertainment and violence, presents feminine energy in its unapologetically destructive mode as well as with its ability to serve justice.
Just as the pretty actresses cast in the series shock the viewer by revealing the ruthless shades of their characters, the aesthetically pleasing visuals often send a chill down the spine with the gory content.
Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam begins with a series of shocking visuals in the midst of an exquisite setting that is smeared with blood. As the series gathers momentum with the heightened absurdity of the third story, the viewer begins to develop a taste for the sadistic pleasure that the narratives aim to offer.
The web-series begins with the story of Mai Malki (Samiya Mumtaz), who resides in a dargah with her companions Anarkali (Mehar Bano) and Munniya. A murder takes place and Mai Malki obliges several confidants of her husband Najji Shah (Saleem Mairaj), the revered 'pir sarkar' of the region, to hide traces of the corpse.
Mai Malki has in her store several anecdotes of women seeking revenge in love and delivering justice. As she begins the narration to set an example of how women through the ages have taken charge to settle scores, the stories of Mehek (Sarwat Gilani), Kanwal (Faiza Gillani), Zuvi (Sanam Saeed), Massey Maa (Beo Raana Zaffar) and Zehra (Eman Suleman) unfold in each episode.
Mehek, a connoisseur of poetry and alcohol, is relentlessly abused by her husband Aftab. Gulab (Ahsan Khan), a professor of Urdu, is given the responsibility of putting an end to Mehek's misery. The twist takes place in the rather simplistic storyline when Mehek takes charge of returning to the happiness and love she deserves. However, Mehek's character arc doesn’t seem too convincing as the plot does not disclose what conditioned her to put up with such a toxic relationship for so long.
Similarly, the slow-paced storyline of Kanwal comes across as weak, though the protagonist pulls off a drama of deception while pretending to be deceived in a romantic union to catch a criminal.
But to what extent the 'second sex' can go to achieve her dreams as well as teach a lesson to opportunistic and privileged men begins to be revealed as we reach the narrative of Zuvi, a high-society artist adamant to have her own studio gifted by her husband. While the unpredictability of the well-enacted plot is impressive, Zuvi's cold-bloodedly absurd criminal act, presented in the garb of glamour and appreciation of art, makes one shudder.
Massey Maa, the wife of a deceased chief justice, rises above all expectations when she decides to turn the belief of her husband going to the grave for the sake of delivering justice into reality. In the end, she reunites with her beloved in the heavenly abode, in love, values and principles.
The series ends with Zehra and Mai Malki’s narrative that takes the theme of revenge to the pinnacle and smashes patriarchy, thriving on the exercise of power on multiple levels. The plot rounds up the series, making clear statements as it topples the nexus of religion and power politics built on the manipulation of women, regarded as the 'weaker' sex.
The stark depiction of how female characters can simultaneously shower immense love and kill if need be makes this thriller worth a watch. The sharp contrast of extreme sensibilities and vulnerabilities is brilliantly portrayed by all the actresses, but especially so by Samiya Mumtaz, Sanam Saeed and Faiza Gillani.
Mo Azmi’s innovative camerawork with bright, earthy coloured backdrops shot in low light oozes mystery in every frame. Azmi makes the moments of shock hard-hitting and contributes volumes in bringing out the hidden shades of each of the characters.
Besides the power-packed performances of the cast and the striking cinematic production, Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam also has meaningful dialogues with deep literary significance, written by Farjad Nabi and the director herself, while lines from several nazms and ghazals quoted by the characters adorn the presentation of each story.
The music composer, too, has played well with the mood of each of the stories, using a vast range of classical and Sufi music and, sometimes, even rap, rock and jazz to magnify their thrilling impact. The music highlights the rebelliousness of the plot by often employing genres in sharp contrast to the mood of the sequences on screen.
While the pace of the series drops at times, the climactic moment of each story and the jaw-dropping twists reward the viewer's patience. The unapologetic celebration of femininity with complexities as well as the tastefully served messages against patriarchy don’t make the content didactic. This is a bold and significant effort by the creator.
Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam is now available on Zee5.