Khalish concludes after a riveting run

Television remains a mass medium and has more reach than any other medium in Pakistan. It’s an important and the most accessible source of entertainment, particularly for women who generally stay in the house. Perhaps this is the reason why women-centric plots get more ratings than any other subject explored on the small screen. Almost all of the plays focus upon familial disputes and love stories, with a recent addition of socially-relevant narratives that have become a trend now. However, some of the stories shown on television are actually out-of-the-box and offer a refreshing experience to viewers. Case in point: Khalish.

The recently concluded drama followed the life and miseries of Sahil, essayed by Faysal Qureshi and touched upon various other issues till the very end. It highlighted the sufferings of a man (Sahil) whose mother is forced to raise him alone after her husband’s family refuses to accept her due to their class difference. The mother, played by Zainab Qayyum, faces several hardships in raising Sahil and taking care of his needs including his education. She falls severely ill and hands the responsibility of her grown-up son over to his father Altamash, essayed by Asif Raza Mir, who has two more children with another woman. Altamash takes Sahil home after his mother’s death despite Sahil’s unease and thus unfold complications between father and son.

All that Sahil (and his mother) had to go through in the absence of a father, he makes sure his father’s entire family experiences the same. He takes away their property, their home and everything they possess, leaving them empty-handed. However, after teaching them a lesson, he forgives them and returns everything; the eventual conclusion sees him accepting his father, Altamash too.

This may not be a unique idea in entirety but Khalish offered a break from clichéd stories and presented the story of a man, as opposed to that of a tragic heroine. Every episode had something new and unpredictable to offer, making viewers curious of what was coming up next. The play won appreciation because of its riveting story telling, thus keeping audiences glued to their TV screens throughout. However, things seemed to resolve too quick and easily in the last episode, in which Altamash and his family welcome Sahil with open arms.

Aside from the theme of revenge between a father and his son, the drama tackled other important subjects such as women empowerment, female infertility, class difference, marriage and relationships among other things. It served as a light commentary on multiple issues that plague our society without being preachy and this is what made Khalish an interesting yet intense watch. Written by Imran Ali Safir, the drama was directed by Syed Ali Raza while it was produced by Aijza Aslam under the banner of Ice Media & Entertainment.

Not just the script but the performances also made the drama what it was. Almost every actor, most of whom aren’t known to many, did justice to their roles and brought their A-game to the table. Faysal Qureshi as Sahil outshined all others and Asif Raza Mir as his father Altamash was a treat to watch. The rest of the cast included Kamran Jilani, who is one of the finest actors, model turned actor Sunita Marshal, who returned to TV after some time, veteran actors Tanveer Jamal, Zainab Qayyum, Jahanara Hai and Zaheen Tahira and some relatively newer actors such as Daniya Anwar Khan, Syed Tabrez Ali Shah and Aliya Ali.

However, it is unfortunate that despite being an engaging and unusual drama, Khalish didn’t make it to the top-rated TV plays in Pakistan, though it made it to the second spot (after Dus Ka Dum) among the top five shows on UK Asian TV according to Biz Asia.

Speaking about ratings, lead actor of the play Faysal Qureshi noted in a telephonic conversation with Instep, “I don’t understand how our ratings operate and I am glad that it is being replaced with some new system soon. I had a hunch that Khalish will not generate high ratings but it will be liked by viewers. Our dramas revolve around some common subjects such as family issues, love stories and extra-marital affairs and there is no room for progressive stories. Everyone is following the same trend though there are many stories that we can talk about.”

The veteran actor-host also shared that due to these regressive plots, writers, directors and even actors are very frustrated but they can’t do much about it. “TV channels do not approve of scripts that are out of the box and intervene in the entire process, leaving no creative margin for the artists,” he added.

Qureshi also spoke about the fact that social media following decides the worth of an actor these days and those who don’t have a strong following aren’t the choice of casting directors.

“This is ridiculous,” the actor asserted. “How would these people get work then? It means they should focus on their social media following by putting up updates on their whereabouts instead of working on their acting skills. What’s the role of their performances then?”

It is sad but true that the parameters for acting have changed with changing times and what matters the most is an actor’s popularity among masses rather than their work. We hope things change for better in the coming days and Pakistani dramas also come out of the rut they are stuck in.