Those who follow DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter closely would remember that I blogged about ZEE5’s show, Churails, during their trailer launch. I had promised to watch the entire webseries and review it for you. Read on to discover what I felt about the web series.
Also read: Honest Review and Rating Mirzapur 2
Before I tell you about Churails, a web series from Pakistan, here is something I want you to do:
For a moment, close your eyes and think of the impression of Pakistan that you have in your mind. Keep in mind that the entire impression is about to change.
If you were not told that Churails was a webs series featuring Pakistani characters and set in Karachi, you would easily believe that this was India. The setting, characters and their behaviour are relatable and the plot’s relatability can be extended globally. Director Asim Abassi and his entire team have taken great pains to show that Pakistan is like every other city in the world.
Plot Summary:
Churails is about the life of four women from different walks of life.
- Sara (Sarwat Gilani), a lawyer that gave her career up to be the “perfect wife”
- Jugnu (Yasra Rizvi), a wedding planner
- Zubaida (Mehar Bano), a boxer seeking independence and love
- Batool (Nimra Bucha), an ex-convict who was sentenced to twenty years in prison for murder
Also read: 9 reasons why you must watch Anurag Basu’s LUDO this Diwali.
They cross paths when Sara discovers that her husband has been cheating on her. Jugnu suggests that they set up an agency that will provide relief to all women. She lays down that they will remain committed to catching husbands who cheat on their wives. This is a secret mission that they run behind the front-end of Halal Designs. They call themselves, ‘Halal Designs’ with the tagline, ‘Mard ko dard hoga.’ The plot takes the audience through many twists and a vast array of characters, each one having their own story that keeps the audience hooked. The beauty of the narrative is that Abbasi does not stretch each subplot like a chewing gum. Each character reaches a logical end but the end of the series. Churails takes a turn when one of them goes missing and they enter a world that depicts the worst side of human nature.
There are so many relatable characters in Churails and some of them make me introspect: Kya #MainChurailHoon?
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Among a flood of powerful scenes, DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter has curated 10 hard-hitting scenes that explore the myriad shades of womanhood.
Here they are:
Also read: Episode breakdown of Mirzapur Season 2
A female teacher who looks down upon another woman’s capabilities
Sara, a lawyer who gave up her career to be the ‘perfect wife’ lives with her rich husband and 3 boisterous kids in a plush bungalow in Karachi. She storms into the teacher’s office to complain about a little boy who has been feeding sex education tidbits to her daughter. While the teacher (also a woman) finds nothing wrong with it, she advises Sara to take up knitting because its therapeutic. What does an irate and usually composed Sara do next?
A toxic mother who believes that she is doing best for her daughter
Zubaida, a boxer seeking independence and love, runs away from home when her father discovers her boxing gloves. After a few days, her mother lovingly calls her daughter back home. She tricks her daughter into dressing up in fine jewellery with make-up et al. She then displays her daughter to total strangers. Zubaida can see her dreams vanishing in the hungry eyes of the strangers while her mother smiles as if she had won a battle. Her spine-chilling smile will pierce your heart like a million daggers. What happens next? Who saves Zubaida from disappearing into a society’s vortex?
A battered housewife who seeks refuge from Churails
The Churails break-in to what looks like a normal household. They wake up the sleeping couple and tie them up. Churails note down the bruises on the lady of the house, including a missing nail. She says she slipped on the steps during the day. They leave after taking the man’s nails and threaten to return if his wife ‘falls from the steps’ again. When they leave, the man fearfully asks his wife whether they will return. She innocently replies, “only if I fall from the steps. But I won’t fall from the steps now, will I?” This scene gave a meaningful end to so many battered housewives across the globe. I loved the way the director touched upon the pertinent issue of domestic violence through this scene.
A drunk, paedophile father meets his fate
There are several stories that run parallelly in Churails. However, this one brought was the most gripping. Ex-convict, Batool is remembering her horrific past where she was married off at a young age to an alcoholic, sex-crazy, wife beater. One day, after she refuses sex, he turns to his 5-year-old daughter to satisfy his carnal desires. What will any mother do in such a situation? Batool’s reaction resonates that of every mother who has faced this real threat. The hatred for his actions and her justified behaviour introduces you to a whole new facet of woman’s liberation. Does society understand and accept Batool for what she did?
A spited woman can turn on those who helped her
A happily married home-maker who is also a great cook approaches Churails. She hesitatingly shares how she doubts her loving husband. The plot thickens when they discover her husband’s second life. She punishes him in the most gruesome manner and when she gets arrested, she conveniently places the blame on the Churails. Her lawyer (also a woman) ably supports her to wriggle out of her legal mess. Do their actions lay the path for Churail’s doom? You will love the underlying narrative and sub-text through this sub-plot.
Women’s condescending attitude towards skin colour
This scene is a perfect example of how the director subtly weaves in a social commentary in a high-drama thriller. It’s beautifully placed within the narrative and leaves its mark even though its just 11 seconds long. The owner of a salon instructs her assistant to apply a shade that makes the model look fairer and emphasizes how the shade needs to look even across the face and neck. What’s appalling about the scene is that the other women present find nothing wrong with what’s happening. We live in a society where dark colour is looked down upon and the catalyst for the same are women themselves.
The duality of family dinners; where actions speak louder than words
This is a classic scene with an unconventional twist. It leaves one wondering who the real Churail is in the scene. The scene opens into a terse dinner conversation between the matriarch, her son, and daughter-in-law. While the matriarch talks about being a family and sharing their problems, her actions are cold and condescending. The director has aced this depiction with panache. A typical high net worth individual’s home where the matriarch rules the roost and has high expectations from her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. The climax of this scene is epic! It will leave you with a sour taste that will linger for long. You may even introspect on your relations with your family members.
A wife who knows when to wear the pants
Zubaida goes missing and Sara comes looking for her at the owner of Juice Talent agency with whom she was last seen. His wife enters the when Sara is questioning him and fiercely protects her husband. Once Sara leaves, one sees a calm wife who lovingly speaks to her husband, who sheepishly makes efforts to show his innocence. She suddenly explodes for an unrelated issue thus telling the audience she knows everything but is quiet for the sake of her son and her family’s peace. This brief scene shows the power a woman has over her home and her man. It conveys that a woman knows when to wear the pants in the house and how she allows the man to take control, making him believe that he is superior. Fantastically depicted scene that will leave you wanting to know more about what happens next.
Powerful women seeking support from each other
Throughout 8 episodes, one sees a complicated wedding planner, Jugnu bravely battling her inner demons and external enemies. In the first episode, she plants the idea of Churails in Sara’s mind and till the 9th episode her character goes through a lot of upheavals including a broken marriage, abortion and betrayal by loved ones. She is the uncrowned leader of Churails who always seems to know the right thing to do. She finally breaks down in the 9th episode and reaches out to Sara. She asks Sara to be the leader she was meant to be’. This is the point in the web series where everything just seems to come together. It’s the much-needed calm before a great storm that unleashes into the climax.
So many powerful and different characters within the same gender
This shot is my favourite shot in the web series. One suddenly realises that there are so many characters that have lent their strength to the plot of Churails. The sensitive and detailed description of LGBT characters, an ex-convict whose heart aches for her daughter, a boxer who is trying to break society’s shackles and so many other characters all handled with panache. In one publication, director, Asim Abbasi says, “Because we are showing such a diverse range of women, it was important to show the entire spectrum of sexuality. It would have been wrong if they were all straight because not all women in Pakistan are straight.”
You will fall in love with every character in Churails, even the negative ones fall out of the boundaries of traditional stereotypes yet have a universal appeal. #MainChurailHoon.
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Overall, Churails is a web series is a perfect for those who love thrillers, fast-paced narratives with strong female characters. #MainChurailHoon
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I loved how the director has also depicted men of so many types in the plot. However, there are two distinct types of men that have emerged in the series, one, the typical male chauvinists and the other, the modern man who respects women folk. Within these two extremes, the writer and director have cleverly woven multiple shades of men throughout the narrative.
Also read: Episode breakdown of Mirzapur season 2
Be ready to binge-watch this one. Let me know your views in the comment box below.
Penned by:
Mayura Amarkant
Image source: ZEE5
Copyright
©MayuraAmarkant. This article is the property of DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mayura Amarkant (DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter). With the right and specific direction to the original content.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter takes no responsibility of the content quality, endorsements or information put out by ZEE5 or its associates. We have published the above review because I loved the trailer and the webseries. DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter urges readers to take their viewing decision independently after doing their own due-diligence.
DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter 
I liked the way each character brought life to the storyline. It is necessary for us to let women breathe and bring those out who suffer due to their husbands.
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The storyline looks so intriguing, even a friend of mine too talked about the show and I was in double thoughts, but reading this post, I am sure this would surely be worth a binge-watch this weekend
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The characters truly appear to be quite relatable and with their share of stories and the way they start their detective stint is a must watch
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I have read so many reviews but I must say this was one of the best and detailed review of this women empowerment series. A power-packed show that punches right on the face of the society.
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This is such a powerful series I have seen in a long time. We need such strong shows that share a message and can create an impact in the society.
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What an awesome review of the series. I wanted to watch this series last week and it was on top of my watchlist. But couldn’t watch it till now. After reading your post, the way you have described the scenes, I really can’t wait to binge-watch it.
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Your writing style is so effortless. Kudos to you for such an impressive review. ZEE 5 have great shows and this one looks quite appealing . will definitely want this.
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Mayura you have captured the real essence of the series in the post through these scenes . I liked your reviewing style of this web series.
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I really like watching women empowerment stories and it’s really nice to watch this show is well I have seen few episodes of this on zee and we’d love to watch more
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Indeed director has treated different plots very beautifully and make it more meaningful. I’ve watched Churails. With powerful performance and strong storyline its Indeed a binge watch.
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Oh wow interesting review. I always thought the word was chudail. But, I’m sure I’ll connect with them on many levels while watching this show. Seems quite modern and how women are now.
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This looks like a great series and I loved the way it has been portrayed!! I am sure going to watch this over the weekend!!
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Thanks for sharing this! I’ve lately been hearing a lot of good things about Churail and the reviews definitely sound super interesting. It’s a breath of fresh relief to see the narratives changing around topics that often were a taboo. I’ll definitely watch it myself and recommend it to my mother too!
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Such an innovative way of sharing your thoughts about this series, Mayura. The scenes have piqued my interest in the storyline and I want to watch to see them again. Women of any nationality will feel a connect with this storyline.
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I have been reading all good reviews about Churails. Women empowerment is the need of the hour, the world over. Seems like this series raises this important issue, boldly and beautifully!
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I would love to see series that are based on strong women. This series seems like an awesome watch over this weekend. Zee is definitely coming with some awesome shows.
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I think more interesting than the series is how you describe it! You make such a compelling argument that I just have to watch it now!
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More power to women across the world. Also I loved watching Pakistani serial while growing up. And this one seems quite promising… so looking forward to binge watch during weekend:)
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So many good reviews about this series and this compilation of good scenes is definitely making this a must watch
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Read many reviews about tjis series, but the way you have captured important scenes from the series without spoiling the storyline it is great.
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Churails seems to be a powerful ode to womanhood. Nice to see a series with all major female characters. These scenes highlight the powerful statements of women power effectively. Hope to catch this series, the plot sounds interesting too.
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Hey Mayura, when I read about this series, it was hard to believe that this series is created in Pakistan. I’m glad to see this story come out that shows women in such bold colors!
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This is the best review I have ever read because you summarised every episode with a character description. I loved it. After your review, I am very excited to watch this series. Thank you for this.
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I have seriously read so much about Chudail, that my wish to see it has increased. The way you have described each scene and shows the pain of the womenfolk is really good. I believe they have picked up a number of issues and weaved a story around them. Let me also check the series.
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The more I read the reviews of Churail, more I attracted towards it. I’m sure in this time period, it is very important to depict the values of women. Looking forward to watching it soon.
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This sounds a must watch for all women, I’ll definitely watch it 😊😊
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Churail definitely a great show to watch . I have already watched all the episodes . The storyline is so beautiful.
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The concept is quite different from another. I m soo happy that ZEE always comeup with such interesting and nice topic. Waiting to watch it in a weekend 🙂
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What a fabulous review. Your way of writing has intrigued me to watch this series now.
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Shows with women as the main central theme and character always win me…. this show has made it to my must watch list.
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Such a good change. Churails is so different from normal Pakistani series. Absolutely love Sara. Can’t wait to finish all the episodes. Your review and it’s detailing is making me watch right away.
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This series looks like real issues woven into one story. Throughout history narratives through art and literature have proven to be great ways to put out an issue to the world and question people’s ideas and values. This series seems to be one of those pieces. Would definitely watch it soon.
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You have analysed the series so well Mayura. I loved your picks they indeed were the best, as per me too. A thorough review!
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Churails is underrated and refreshing. It’s a hidden gem which has not received much coverage from mainstream media reviews. So far this was one of the best web series this year.
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Such game changing series can bring a change in the thought process of the society I feel. I know it’s high hopes but small changes ultimately will bring a bigger change.
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Loved your detailed review. I am looking forward to watch it over the weekend.
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Mayura, I have just watched this series in one go, and I agree with you that these were some of the most powerful scenes. These were also very disturbing because, these are a reflection if the current times!!! It is sad to realise that such things still exist, and women have to suffer through it, and survive as best they can.
For women, thriving is still not a basic right!
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I’m just happy to hear that a series such as this is being brought to the audience on issues so very relevant to the current times.
Thanks for the detailed review Mayura. Though I don’t watch much of television but should give this a go sometime.
And yes, your writing is crisp and flawless.
Love
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I had read reviews of churali on so many blogs but I would love to say that it was most impressive and detailed review of the series. I love the way you had share peculiar characteristics of each woman character. The series is looking really power packed. Will surely watch when we have ZEE5 subscription option here in USA.
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The storyline looks really very powerful, your review episode wise makes me want to watch this one. Will surely check it out on ZEE5.
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I read a lot n good review of this series. I like your details scene review. More over this series in Pakistan so eager to watch.
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Such a nice review. Jotting down the exact scenes here has peaked my interest in this show. Some of them are so powerful. Wil check this for sure.
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Wow Mayura, this is such an extensive review. I love how you have shared all the videos in the blog. Most of these Pakistani Dramas are so interesting to watch. Will definitely look it up.
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Very well reviewed about each character.. nice thrilling series of strong women’s characters.
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Loved the detailed review along with the screenshots , thanks for the review looks like my weekend is sorted , gonna watch these series 👍🏻😊
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The show has received several positive reviews… And l liked its episode 4, the most. It is kinda revolutionary web series.. all 4 girls are doing a great role.
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Yes, for first time Pakistani Serial Watchers Churails will come as a big shock! I loved watching it and was so glad that serious issues, which are usually brushed under the carpet, were brought to the fore through this!
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I watched the show and can say that there’s a kind of revolution beginning in the women of Pakistan. Good sign.
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I watched the show and can say that there’s a kind of revolution started in the women of Pakistan. Good sign.
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I just read a review of this show earlier today….these scenes are making me more eager to watch the show now!
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wow..the way you have narrated the entire plot is so captivating Mayura. I loved the screen shots for every shade you have included. I hope this shows and many such shows would be able to change the way society see women.
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