Three episodes into the story, the drama serial keeps us intrigued with gripping dialogues and strong performances.
Anjum Shahzad’s directorial, Khaani made way to our TV screens three weeks ago and offered a change of pace from the usual saas-bahu sagas that have become a regular on local television. Starring Sana Javed as Khaani and Feroze Khan as Mir Hadi, a relatively fresh onscreen pair that has attracted huge traction from masses, the play tackles themes of power, position and injustice, among other issues.
As far as the story goes, the innocent and hesitant Khaani loses her twin brother Sarim (played by Ali Ansari) at the hands of Mir Hadi, a fearless, spoiled brat who happens to be the son of an influential politician. While he thought he would easily get away with it, given his strong family background, things aren’t as simple this time.
In the latest episode (episode 3) aired on Monday, his parents, played by Mehmood Aslam and Saman Ansari, both of whom are terrific performers, try to manipulate the victim’s family by pretending to be sympathetic to fool them into signing a pardon. However, right when they think they’ve played it well and will be able to save their son, Khaani intervenes and stresses on fighting the case instead of pardoning the culprit without any punishment.
This amazes the imprisoned Mir Hadi as he didn’t expect any resistance from a girl who belongs to the lower strata of society and has two younger sisters, apparently weakening her position. He asks his friend to bring Khaani to the jail so that he can talk to her and influence her. Despite her mother’s disapproval, she meets Mir Hadi who not only threatens her but also provokes her by telling her how he killed her brother. Sad and depressed Khaani returns home but without any change in her decision to fight for justice.
While the episode ends here, the promo for next week’s episode shows that Mir Hadi will come out of jail, as expected. He is shown to try to force an apology letter from Sarim’s parents by threatening to kill Khaani who is no longer afraid of anything. Will he succeed in his efforts or will Khaani continue with the same spirit, we will have to wait until the next few episodes air.
Khaani sets itself apart given its subject and treatment of characters especially that of Mir Hadi and his parents. It sheds light on the harsh realities of the VIP culture in our country and what one has to face if they are not in power while those in power know how to make the most of it and use it to their benefit. On one end are Khaani’s parents who don’t want to indulge in legal processes so that it doesn’t affect their dignity given that they have three daughters. And, on the other hand, Mir Hadi and his family are least concerned about justice and are willing to use any means to save their son despite the heinous crime he has committed.
Three episodes down, the play manages to keep us hooked to our TV screens not just because of the storyline but also the performances and execution. Every incident connects well to the next, without a single dull moment. The generation gap, as well as the differences between families with contrasting social backgrounds, has been put forth really well. That said, we hope the play continues with this pace without losing its plot like most other plays that are on air these days.
