Churails Review: The Burkha Clad Women In This Interesting Thriller Will Smash Patriarchy

Churails is a ZEE5 original made by the filmmaker Asim Abbasi. Abbasi smartly hints the patriarchy with its own device – the burkha. Four women, who have all faced the brunt of patriarchy, run a detective agency behind the persona of a burkha boutique, hilariously named Halal Designs. They and the other women in the show, are not only mandating their basic human right of being eligible to live with prestige, but insist on being self-sufficient, powerful, and unapologetic about their sexuality. You can catch this show, exclusively with ZEE5 club pack.

You can watch the trailer here:

A burkha-clad boxer, a trophy wife, a single rich woman, and a murder convict run the detective agency that strives at catching unfaithful husbands. Their backstories add power to the story, giving us an adequate understanding of the show – while two come from privilege, one hails from a relatively simple financial background and the fourth one is an ex-convict who spent 20 years in prison. Told in non-linear flashbacks.

The writer-director uses interesting imagery to emphasize the ideas of revolution in a patriarchal set-up. The four leading ladies precisely wear their burkhas like a superhero’s cape as they head for their missions. The burkha is not inflicted upon them by men, it is their armour. The women in Churails are not shown smoking or drinking just because it is a cool activity that defines the character’s assassination. He shows the addiction as a vice, not a virtue, or a sign of feminism. Interestingly, for the audience, Churails is full of  Indian pop culture references.

Asim, a self-confessed fan of Hindi movies, has also expanded a sprinkle of comic relief to a serious scene in the series with a decidedly Bollywood touch. When the Churails’ team is salvaging a daughter (from her forced nikah), one of the women hold a knife to the father’s neck and contends that he tells the daughter, ‘Jaa jee le apni Zindagi’.

The stunning performances of the lead actors maintain your attention. Meher Bano, Yasra Rizvi, and Sarwat Gilani merge skillfully into their characters. However, it is Nimra Bucha, playing the role of hardened criminal – a murder convict – who is ready to kill (again) for any disservice out to women, who deserves a special mention. Her sheer presence will run chills down your spine. The series certainly promises an engaging watch. These churails are not scared of claiming #WeAreChurails.

For more entertainment, watch ZEE5.