“Khaie” is in a league of its own when compared to other Pakistani dramas. It’s a high budget show with an excellent storyline, strong characters and a vendetta which spills out to each member of this family. With “Khaie,” there’s little to criticize barring a few dragged out scenes, the story and treatment is simply that good. However now with 19 episodes down, will the remaining episodes be as well written? Written by Saqlain Abbas and directed by Syed Wajahat Hussain, “Khaie” stars Faysal Qureshi, Durr E Fishan Saleem, Khalid Butt, Uzma Hassan, Laila Wasti, Osama Tahir, Shamyl Khan, Shuja Asad, Mah E Nur Haider and others in prominent roles.
When “Khaie” first began, we briefly got to know Zamda’s family, but they were murdered before we could grow emotionally attached to them as characters. From episode 3 onward, our introduction to Chanaar Khan (Faysal Quraishi), Duraab Khan (Khalid Butt) and their family began in great detail and, despite seeing them as villains, our hearts softened. It becomes easy to align our minds with characters like Chanaar Khan and Duraab Khan after seeing the inner workings of their family. Over time, the ruthlessness of their crimes have become watered down in our heads – and the makers are aware of that, sprinkling in flashbacks of the murder of Zamda’s family every so often to remind us of the cruelty this family is capable of. This week, hearing Bareera’s story not only replenishes and reignites that fury, but also removes the compassion from our hearts towards Gul Wareen (Uzma Hassan). Up until now, our hearts have broken for Gul Wareen after the death of her young son and then, once again, when we believed Barlas (Shuja Asad) would be killed. However, in episode 19, Bareera’s (Laila Wasti) story comes out. Duraab Khan asks Bareera to essentially spy on Zamda (Durr E Fishan Saleem) and discover what she is planning, promising her a powerful position above Gul Wareen in return. Bareera has lived a rough life and this promise is enough to fuel her desire to complete this mission. Bareera opens up to Zamda in an effort to win over her trust and we discover that Bareera is Duraab Khan’s niece (sister’s daughter) and Chanaar Khan agreed to marry her on only one condition – that he would be allowed to marry his love, Gul Wareen, as well. Unfortunately, Gul Wareen was manipulative and possessive, poisoning Bareera’s tea while she was expecting a child and later turning the entire family against her, accusing her of murdering her own child. Bareera spent five months chained in a dungeon for the murder of her own child who was actually murdered by Gul Wareen. The heartbreak here is intense and enough to propel us to root for Gul Wareen’s ruin once again.
Hearing this story, one would think Bareera would be the perfect ally for Zamda. Unfortunately, her desire for her own self peace and power after years of mistreatment is also at a high, driving her to betray Zamda’s trust. Bareera manages to get Zamda’s phone, but what will this mean for Zamda’s plan moving forward, especially since Chanaar Khan’s mistrust towards Zamda is at a frightening high? “Khaie” continues to be an engrossing, gripping watch with some excellent performances. Faysal Quraishi is simply excellent as Chanaar Khan, but it’s honestly Khalid Butt who steals the show each week as Duraab Khan. There’s an evilness within Duraab Khan and yet, he’s also a kind-hearted soul towards his own family. It’s hard to balance this sort of character, but Khalid Butt has done it with ease. Durr E Fishan Saleem, Laila Wasti and Uzma Hassan all make an impact in this week’s episode, but the episode truly belongs to Laila Wasti this time around. Bareera’s pain is palpable and her deception is understandable – but it puts Zamda in a weak position and we are, of course, rooting for Zamda. It will be interesting to see where the story goes from this point onward, especially with Barlas ready to approach Apana once again. Will this bring out Badshah Khan’s anger? “Khaie” is a must watch for all Pakistani drama fans!