WEB series 
 

WEB series

Churails

Warriors in Burkhas

By Syeda Maham Rasheed | September 2020

A The latest web series, ‘Churails’, showcases the depths of how women are treated in our society and are still expected to be their own best version. In short, women should ignore all their wishes and focus on making the household a better place for the family. ‘Churails’ neither shies from the gleaming elitist ambience nor the ugliness that lies beneath. It is remarkably balanced and non-critical about a society that is basically imbalanced and hopelessly judgmental.

Churails is a tale about four women who defy the norms, pulling on multicoloured hijabs to take revenge. The series starts with Sara (Sarwat Gilani) finding out that her politician husband Jameel (Omair Rana) is cheating on her while Batool (Nimra Bucha) rescues Zubaida (Mehar Bano) from her exploitative father. All three women meet at a rather unfortunate turn of events at Jugnu’s (Yasra Rizvi) place where a secret spying agency called Churails comes into being operating behind the facade of a retail boutique called Halal Designs. These women take down abusive men and help women get justice.

Sara, the leader of the Churails, is a lawyer-turned-housewife who ponders about returning to work but is advised by her husband to support him by charming donors to fund his campaigns and raising their three children. Though Sara seems to live a fulfilling life, she is not quite content with the way she is living it and a dinner scene explains it all. While having dinner, her mother-in-law insults her without any reason as her husband sits quietly, watching his mother humiliate her in front of the kids. The scene speaks volumes about the kind of society we live in where people leave no chance to disrespect a woman.

Enter Jugnu (Yasra Rizvi), an alcoholic wedding planner and a friend of Sara’s. She is a smart thinker who once had a thriving business but her failed marriage takes a toll on her, halting her life personally and professionally. She plays Jugnu with such effortlessness that makes her flippancy seem authentic.

The most hard-hitting character is of Batool (Nimra Bucha), an ex-con who has just been released from prison after serving a sentence for murder. She is a woman of action who has a traumatic past and a temper. Out of prison, she is on a hunt for men who disrespect women but to make ends meet, she starts working at Jugnu’s place as a maid.

Then arrives Zubaida (Mehar Bano), a sweet yet tough lady looking for love and success in the world of boxing. Zubaida is principled but is fascinated by the biceps and abs of her boyfriend Sham (Kashif Hussain). Fighting a blackmailing brother and an overbearing father at home, she takes out her frustration on a boxing bag. But despite her bravado, she finds it hard to argue with authority.

The supporting casts are like pieces of a puzzle which glues together different pieces of the plot. The serial also has cameo appearances by Adnan Malik, Mahira Khan, Sania Saeed, Sarmad Khoosat, Amtul Bajwa and many more, each having a short but major role to play in taking the story forward. Also, the male characters are not demonised just to portray the female heroes in a flattering light.

Like most Pakistani productions, one might think that the series will somehow lose its importance at some point but ‘Churails’ surprises everyone with each episode being better than the previous one. Kudos to the talented director Asim Abbasi, famous for his Oscar-nominated film ‘Cake’, for such an outstanding masterpiece. From the storyline to the character development, Abbasi has outdone himself, leaving viewers without any doubts. The cinematography by Mo Azmi sets the mood as hues of red add mystery.

‘Churails’ is not only a delightful serial but also one that everyone should watch as it focuses on issues pertaining to harassment, forced marriages, abuse, assault and the concept that boys will be boys. It serves as a mirror to the harsh realities of the world and teaches us how to be more tolerant where needed and to step up in face of wrongdoings.

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