Monday, December 4, 2017

Khaani: What Am I Watching?

Hello all!  First of all, guys, I am so sorry for consistently falling off the wagon with writing.  Honestly, the only excuse I can give you is that life tends to get in the way, there are constant obstacles and sometimes writing simply has to take a backseat - not to mention that when the going gets tough, the tough have too much to deal with and it becomes difficult to keep up with watching television.  That being said, I'm back and will do my best to remain consistent.  Wedding season is in full swing and my schedule is very busy, but I will do what I can.  I have a few readers that always wish me well, always keep up with my blog and honestly - you guys are why I continue doing this, so THANK YOU for reading and being so understanding. 


Okay guys, "Yakeen Ka Safar" finished and while the ending didn't necessarily overwhelm viewers, for me personally.....I enjoyed it.  I agree with the complaints - I also wish we had seen Zubia & Asfandyar's wedding and been a part of that "moment."  I also wish we had been witness to Dr. Haroon and Geti's wedding, because that was a very touching, heart-warming connection and they both so deserved that happiness.  That being said, I did enjoy that beautiful moment between Zubia and Asfandyar in the hospital.  I did find that "Itna bhi trust nahin tha mujhpar?" line a little far-fetched, because.....well, obviously, they were so formal with each other, of course she didn't trust him!  But these two beautiful characters deserved nothing but the best and it was great to see that love story come to a happy end.  Since I hadn't written since the ending of Yakeen Ka Safar, I did want to drop in this small note!  Personally, I believe Yakeen Ka Safar was the highlight of 2017 drama-wise.  Well done, Hum TV, well done.

Okay.....let's come to the point of this post.  I want to discuss "Khaani."  I'm going to put a disclaimer straight-up that I am two episodes behind right now, so I've only seen the first 3 episodes of this drama.  If I say something that you feel "Oh, but you're not right about this....," just know that I'm not up-to-date.  I am simply commenting on the overall premise of the show.


Khaani came with high expectations from the viewers.  A beautiful OST rendered by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, a great production house, the promise of a beautiful, never-seen-before love story and the first-time pairing of Feroze & Sana all came together to leave drama viewers waiting in anticipation. 

Khaani follows the story of our title character, Khaani (Played by Sana Javed) and Mir Hadi (Feroze Khan).  Khaani and Saim are twins from a loving family including two more sisters and loving parents.  Mir Hadi is the son of a politician running for re-election.  Mir Hadi has a terrible attitude, is arrogant, self-obsessed and has an incredibly short temper.  One happy day after Saim finds out he has received a scholarship, his family happily awaits his arrival to begin the celebrations.  On his way home, Saim has an altercation with Mir Hadi, which results in his death. 


Now, because I'm behind on a few episodes, I'm not sure what has happened other than Mir Hadi's release.  But from what I gather, Mir Hadi will go on to be repentant of his crimes and will work to "fix" her life somehow. 

Guys, I don't consider myself a (I hate this word) "feminazi."  I'm a feminist in the normal way that I believe in equal rights, I believe in human rights.  I believe in equality.  I believe women are capable of doing anything.  So I don't get riled up over silly things.  But.....something about this show is rubbing me the wrong way. 



The premise is seemingly going two ways:  a "version" of Tum Bin where a crime is committed and that "criminal" will then come into the female lead's life to rectify things.  But here's the difference - in Tum Bin, the crime committed was purely an accident and the "criminal" was not a terrible person who thought he could get away with anything.  He simply made an error in judgement and rushed away in fear.  Here, dealing with a character like Mir Hadi, it seems like allowing a character like this to get "redemption" (IN ROMANCE!!!) is absolving him of his terrible behavior and his highly INTENTIONAL crime. 

OR Khaani will stand against Hadi Mir and they will somehow end up married with Khaani vowing to take revenge.....and then ultimately falling for Hadi.  Either way, I am miffed by either storyline.


Why are shows like this even made?  I wonder.  I know that the concept of the "egotistic hero made soft by the sweet heroine" is an idea that works brilliantly on Indian television - but is it really something to idolize and imitate?  Even with Gul-E-Rana a couple of years ago, I was torn by how much I really enjoyed the show, but at the same time, I was thrilled by the ending.  It didn't perpetuate the stereotype that a man can do anything and then get away with his bad behavior.  I am not sure where exactly this show will take this concept, but from what I'm seeing, it seems to be falling more under the category of "redemption" rather than "karma." 

I am finding the story interesting (if not painful to watch), so I'm going to continue watching, but I'm hoping I'm entirely wrong about the direction in which it's headed.  Let me know your thoughts!  Until next time, happy watching!  :)