Barwaan khiladi, produced by Mahirah Khan and Nina Kashif, premiered on tapmad on the 5th of March, 2022. The series is directed by Adnan Sarwar and stars Shahveer Jafry, Danyal Zafar, Sarmad Khoosat, Zarrar Khan, Khaqan Shahnawz, Mira Sethi, Fawad Khan and Kinza Hashmi.
On the surface, it is a story about a small town boy making it big. But once you get past that, you see how this is a story about so much more than that. It is a story about friendship, love, rivalry, passion and loyalty. In the first episode we are introduced to Akbar, played by Danyal Zafar from Hajiabad. Akbar is a typical boy-next-door, who is something of a legend at “galli cricket” and head over heels in love with the starry eyed Aalia, played by Kinza Hashmi. In the same episode we are also introduced to Jehangir, played by Shahveer Jafry. Jehangir, albeit talented, makes it to the Shaheen Eleven by having his influential father make a call to the coach. Here’s where we see two young boys, both equally passionate about a sport that they are good at as well enter the same team through two entirely opposing pathways; nepotism and merit. This is also where the show starts bringing this binary into the narrative. These boys differ in their class backgrounds as well as in the choices they make. It is through their perspective that we delve deep into the malice-laden world of club cricket. We see it all; the good, the bad and the ugly (mostly ugly).
Most of the show after the first episode deals with Akbar trying to make his way into the playing eleven. Jehangir and his posse of spoilt and entitled boys don’t exactly make it very easy for Akbar to be anything other than the in-waiting 12th man who never gets a chance to play except rarely. We see Jehangir bullying Akbar from the very start. From making him fetch water on the field to provoking him into fist fights, we see it all. What isn’t really clear is why Jehangir is so hostile towards Akbar.
There is an unexplained and forced intensity in almost every character. This is hardly justified and frankly, often feels like an excuse to take the story forward but we do enjoy the drama it causes. We see these boys get into one too many brawls and the script does make some semblance of an effort at redeeming itself in the form Aalia’s raging outburst at her brother where she calls out the locker room, behaviour which is all forms of misogynistic and toxically masculine. In doing so, she does offer critique that extends beyond the confines of the fictitious world of Shaheen Eleven.
By this point, the viewer has seen so many testosterone pumped free punches and sexist slurs that they are forced to wonder if it’s too little too late. However, as the story progresses, we see these boys being there for each other, each in their own twisted way. We see how they care for John when his mother passes away. Akbar stays by his side during her surgery, while Jehangir takes care of the hospital bills. We see them showing emotion and to some extent even questioning their behaviour.
Whether the show does a good job at writing progressive male characters or not, it does toward the end make the viewer root for the brotherhood that these boys display time and time again. We also see Coach Iftikhar, played by Sarmad Khoosat, deal with the ramifications of letting Jahangir into the team the way he did. He is forced to face off with a fierce and intelligent reporter, played by Mira Sethi. We see Sethi’s character put Coach Iftikhar on spot and force him to pay for his actions.
The series serves as a good debut for Danyal Zafar and Shahveer Jafry, both of whom have done a good job at playing raging, conflicted rivals. Danyal Zafar and Kinza Hashmi have managed to create great chemistry which makes your heart root for their small-town romance. Over all, Barwaan Khiladi is an easy watch for a slow Sunday. While it doesn’t exactly deliver on the anticipation the script creates for cricket, it does a good job at showcasing brotherhood and loyalty to the game.
Barwaan khiladi, produced by Mahirah Khan and Nina Kashif, premiered on tapmad on the 5th of March, 2022. The series is directed by Adnan Sarwar and stars Shahveer Jafry, Danyal Zafar, Sarmad Khoosat, Zarrar Khan, Khaqan Shahnawz, Mira Sethi, Fawad Khan and Kinza Hashmi.
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