The feminist femmes fatales of upcoming Pakistani noir thriller web series ‘Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam’

The team behind a controversial Pakistani feminist show is set to release a new fictional anthology web series about women who kill.

Lady killers: Urdu-language noir thriller series “Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam” (“Names of the Beautiful Killers” in English) tells the tales of several women driven to murder in various circumstances against the backdrop of a fictional city named Androon Sheher.

In an interview with Forbes, lead writer Meenu Gaur described Androon Sheher, which translates to “the Inner City,” as “an old city that exists in a modern world,” redefining the noir genre with traditionally desi flair.
“At the center of the show is this question that we have asked: ‘What would you fight for? What would you kill for?’ And every episode is thematically built around such a question.” These reasons include love, duty, revenge and revolution.
Unlike traditional depictions of femme fatales, Gaur hopes to explore the unique motives and femininity of each character with humor and empathy.
The series is set to premiere on Zee5 on Dec. 10th.

A fiery cast: Many of the cast and crew who took part in “Qatil Haseenaon” had previously worked on “Churails” (“Banshees” in English), another feminist web series that generated much controversy in Pakistan.

“Churails” tackles topics such as domestic violence, female sexuality, classism and LGBTQ rights as a group of women track down their clients’ unfaithful husbands, uncovering other secrets along the way.
Due to its bold approach to taboo topics, “Churails” was banned in Pakistan, though it remains available for viewing on streaming service Zee5.
Despite the backlash from conservative groups, “Churails” received critical acclaim and widespread support by progressive viewers.
Lead stars Sarwat Gilani and Eman Suleman and producer Shailja Kejriwal are involved in both “Churails” and “Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam.”
Although actor Sanam Saeed was not involved in “Churails,” she was a vocal supporter of the project. She has appeared in other feminist media, such as “Cake,” a family drama by Asim Abbasi who also directed “Churails.”

It has not been announced whether “Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam” will be available to view on Zee5 with English subtitles. However, English subtitles are currently available for “Churails.”

Featured Image via ZEE5 (left) (right)

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