“Khaie” is a show that boats of high production values, a stellar star cast, a gripping story and great direction. Honestly, “Khaie” has been the sort of thrilling watch Pakistani drama viewers have been waiting for – and yet, the show went through a healthy lagging period over the past several weeks, only just picking up last week with an action-packed episode. Does the finale deliver the expected bloodbath? 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.
The greatest problem with a successful show is the channel’s desire to cash in on high ratings, unnecessarily dragging their high-quality show with needless flashbacks, slowing the pace down greatly. While last week’s episode finally got “Khaie” out of that slump, the finale is slow in a different way. While we expected a world of bloodshed in the finale, there is really only one death which occurs. While Chanaar Khan (Faysal Qureshi) grapples with his father’s death, that too right after burying Barlas, Zamda moves into her final plan of attack. Mixing poison in Chanaar’s green tea, she requests that he take her to the graveyard to pray for her loved ones. Chanaar agrees, in a pensive mood himself. It’s here where Zamda delivers the final blow, shooting Chanaar first in the arm and next in the chest. This scene is not nearly as thrilling as one would have hoped, Faysal Qureshi’s Chanaar Khan unrealistically pausing to profess his love for Zamda and declare that murdering her family was all done out of “love.” We recognize that Chanaar Khan was a warped character, but somehow these words do not sit well. Fortunately, Zamda does not accept any form of affection, declaring her hatred for Chanaar – but the scene is all too drawn out and honestly, the entire episode could have been condensed into fifteen minutes rather than what unfolded.
In the end, Zamda spares Aizaz not only on Chanaar Khan’s request, but also rediscovering her own humanity. Can she really murder a child? Zamda’s mother and Gul Wareen (Uzma Beg) pass away, Apana (Mah E Nur Haider) gets remarried and Zamda moves to Karachi with Aizaz, away from the lawless world that robbed them of everything.
There are many thoughts on the finale, the first being, again, that the finale needed to have more action and less dramatic monologues (Faysal Qureshi’s dialogues at the cemetery). Sure, he was the final character to die, but neither Duraab Khan (Khalid Butt) nor Barlas (Shuja Asad) nor Baadal (Osama Tahir) received this sort of drawn out, unrealistic death. It should have been short and quick, depicting the fragile nature of human life, no matter how powerful one may think themselves. Second, Zamda’s wounds and healing should have been shown in some way – showing Zamda as a normal, balanced woman with a grown Aizaz seems unrealistic without therapy and much more considering the trauma she has been through.
Last, the finale is still a strong one, making the entire show a quality one, worth watching. The scenes with Zamda returning to the village with Aizaz and pausing on the bridge where she and her brothers spent time together, makes an impact. Zamda is haunted by the ghosts of her past, reminded of Chanaar, stopped with his son in the spot where Chanaar Khan first saw her – and it scares her. History can repeat itself and Zamda, remembering the warnings of the past, urges Aizaz to leave.
The finale belongs to Durr E Fishan Saleem and Faysal Qureshi alone. The finale revolves around these two characters and their final face-off. Durr E Fishan Saleem has been given the role of her career, a female lead entirely different from the usual, a woman who is inherently “good,” but becomes a murderer in avenging injustices against her family. This has not been an easy role to play and she has stepped into the character naturally. Faysal Qureshi is excellent, as always, this time portraying a character who is inherently flawed due to his upbringing. He is a man who has been raised to follow in his father’s footsteps, a path which led to cruelty and injustice, only feeling the weight of it all when death falls upon his own family. Faysal Qureshi is a wonderful actor and it’s always a treat to see him in well-written roles like this.
Overall, the entire cast has done a fabulous job. Khalid Butt has given his audience a character worth remembering as his last farewell. Shuja Asad has made an impact as Barlas and has a strong future ahead as an actor. Osama Tahir won our hearts as the courageous Badal. Mah E Nur Haider has proved herself an actress worth much more than just side roles. Saqlain Abbas is the true hero of the show with his writing and Syed Wajahat Hussain has painted his story onto a beautiful canvas. “Khaie” has not been perfect and we honestly do wish it had not been tampered with, as the finished product would have been a masterpiece without the flashbacks and dragging. Still, this has been a treat to watch and a show that will be terribly missed. The team of “Khaie” deserves a round of applause.