I binge-watched a show after ages! For three nights, I was up till the wee hours of the night and thoroughly enjoyed all ten episodes. Here is my review of Churails on Zee5. No spoilers.
Churails is written and directed by Asim Abbasi and I been a fan since watching Cake the Film. The show stars Sarwan Gilani, Yusra Rizvi, Nimra Bucha, Meherbano, Omair Rana, Adnan Malik, Sania Saeed, Sarmad Khoosat, Amtul Bajwa and many more. There are some fun guest appearances also like by Mahira Khan.
One of my most favourite characters is Inspector Jamshed played by Fawad Khan (no, not ‘That’ Fawad Khan). I had been a fan of Fawad Khan’s voice via his narration of Urdu books on Patari and Audible. It was a delight to see his acting and I’m now a fan for life!
I love how the show addresses patriarchy but shows how women can support the system of patriarchy and men can stand against it. It’s not men vs. women but challenging patriarchy and misogyny.
There are also no “bechari” women here. These are women who are flawed but well-meaning, broken but brave, down but not out. They rise again and again and stand with each other. I also loved the lack of class divide. This is something we can all learn from.
When I started the show it reminded me a bit of “Made in Heaven”, “Four More Shots” and “Sacred Games” but you soon realize how this is an original story about and from Pakistan. The first episode is probably the weakest and the show keeps getting better. I love how the show does not use nudity as shock appeal. The amazing talent of the actors speaks for itself and they do not need such cheap tactics that shows have used recently. Some characters drink just as the personas they depict in real life. There is also foul language but it comes naturally to the characters they are portraying. This show is for ages 18+. Don’t watch it if you’re easily offended.
Episodes 1-5 seem almost like one season and then Episode 6-10 like another. The show gets more dark and gritty as it progresses but never looses its wit and entertainment value.
The acting is impeccable and I’m so proud of the talent coming out of Pakistan.
The soundtrack is extremely well-suited to the situations it supports. Would love to hear these songs again.
I have already finished the 10 episodes (around 55 minutes each) and can’t wait to watch the show again with Jaffar.
To watch the show you can download the Zee5 app and then buy the subscription. I paid $11 CAD for a month of access and for Pakistan it’s around Rs 1500. You can use the subscription on upto 5 devices.
The Zee5 app is not available in the US and I really hope it becomes available soon because there are more great original shows coming out of Pakistan on it. There are also some lovely older Pakistani dramas available on the app such as Mehreen Jabbar’s Vasl that I thoroughly enjoyed (it’s not on YouTube).
Do buy the subscription to the Zee5 app and watch shows by Pakistani content creators. This will support and encourage the industry to create more progressive shows.
How did you like this review of Churails on Zee5? Do share your thoughts!