JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam Review Ep 1: Enter into a dark and suspenseful world of grey, flawed femme fatales
Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam is an anthology of short stories featuring Sanam Saaed, Sarwat Gilani, Samiya Mumtaz, Faiza Gilani, Eman Suleman, and others.
Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam
Cast: Sanam Saaed, Sarwat Gilani, Samiya Mumtaz, Faiza Gilani, Beo Rana Zaffar, Eman Suleman, and, Meher Bano.
Director: Meenu Gaur
Streaming Platform: Zee5
“Anarkali, agar ishq saccha ho, yaa dil lahu lahu hota hain, yaa haath (When love is true, it’s either the heart that is bloodied or hands)”. Mai Maalki’s (Samiya Mumtaz) poetic philosophy might just be one of the central themes of the creator, director Meenu Gaur’s Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam. The web series released today on Zee5 is an anthology of six interconnected stories, where women protagonists set out to do anything in their capacity to reset the imbalance and injustice served to them.
The first episode lays out the story of Mehek Mir Ragul, essayed by Sarwat Gilani, who finds herself in an abusive marriage. Sarwat brings with her a striking screen presence, whose role as Mehek, it seems, was to portray the ‘beautifully tragic’ damsel-in-distress, until, of course, a Gulab (Ahsan Khan) walks in as her saviour. However, the end credits ensure you that Mehek is the center of the story, and Ahsan Khan as Gulab is only a supporting character. Why then, was his heartbreak the plot of the episode, you wonder.
Mehek’s revenge is hardly convincing for there is no character arch, no journey that takes her to the ultimate destination. One moment she’s a beautiful, heartbroken, wife and the very next, she’s a total badass. The same is the case with Gulab, a timid lover and shayar turned professor and hitman. But the questions remain: Why? Where? When? How? I will give the benefit of doubt to the time allotted for one episode, though.
Samiya Mumtaz as Mai Maalki stands out. Mai Ji, and her two followers, reminded me of Macbeth’s witches, bringing the message of impending doom from the very opening shot. However, writers Farjad Nabi and Meenu Gaur ensure to topple the narrative of witches on its head. They are not ‘purely evil’ women, just grey. Further on, their aura, glance, and touch, is enough to scare men who deem women unfit to hold positions of power.
The world of Qaatil Haseenaon Ke Naam reflects the stories it sets out to portray – dark, gloomy, eerie, and suspenseful. DOP Mo Azmi does a brilliant job with the lens which often stays near the characters, hoping to give viewers more than a glimpse of the turbulence and tenderness within.
During a virtual trailer launch last month, creator and director Meenu Gaur gave words to the intention of the series. “I was really inspired by the noir genre that revolves around a qatil haseena (femme fatale) but the narrative is always led by men. I wanted to change that, I wanted to put (the genre) on its head. And I wanted the voiceover to be that of a woman’s.” And you do get a glimpse of noir in the dim lighting and flashbacks. However, Mehek, as the first Qaatil Haseena lacks the kind of complexity one would expect from characters born in such a world.
Watch Qaatil Haseenaon Ke Naam for the possibility of dark and flawed women protagonists on screen, and of course, the wonderful cast featuring Sanam Saaed, Sarwat Gilani, Samiya Mumtaz, Faiza Gilani, Beo Rana Zaffar, Eman Suleman, and, Meher Bano.
Latest Articles
