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With an overabundance of characters with their own convoluted backstories Faraar has plenty of action. This week was led by one unexpected character though: Shakoor. Thanks to Sikander Nawaz’s nuanced portrayal, Shakoor has gone from an expendable player to a central figure whose every action carries weight. His shifting loyalties, regrets, and cunning plans are unpredictable and gripping.
The episode began with Baggi aka Nazish (Sohai Ali Abro) striking a deal with Shakoor to facilitate her and Batish’s (Hamza Ali Abbasi) escape to Europe. (What is with every character’s fixation on Europe? Which country, which city, what was the strategy once they arrived?) It is a vast continent, not the mythical land of salvation. The dream of fleeing to Europe hit an unexpected snag when it turns out Shakoor is also being paid to hunt her down. The minor hurdle is quickly resolved as Shakoora demands double the fee to switch loyalties and help her flee. Desperate, Baggi agreed to the inflated amount and even offered to cover Batish’s expenses as well.
BACKSTORIES GALORE
Shakoor’s cunning goes even further. After receiving the news of Bali’s (Faris Shafi) demise he is quick to notice Batish’s strangely nonchalant reaction. His instincts, sharp and unerring, led him to confront Batish, a move that not only revealed Batish’s involvement in Bali’s death but also gave Shakoora a newfound respect for him. For once, a character displayed some semblance of intelligence and intuition. Shakoora had gained a newfound respect for him, admitting that Batish had accomplished something he himself was too cowardly to do.
This prompted another flashback about failed revenge. The sheer number of twisted, homicidal pasts in this drama was staggering. It is as if no one existed without a dark,
The complexity of Shakoor’s character continued to shine during a tense moment when he was held at gunpoint by the Malik brothers. Instead of succumbing to fear, Shakoora showed his resourcefulness by instructing his driver to hand over a “passport”—which, in reality, was a code word for a gun. Batish, eager to fulfill his sadistic desires, seized the weapon, and upon the Malik brothers’ arrival, killed them both in cold blood. This moment was a pivotal shift in the power dynamics of the series, leaving a lasting impression on viewers
COPS ON THE RUN
Meanwhile our good guys Fasih (Ahmed Ali Akbar) and Mohsin (Sami Khan) are still caught in a tight spot. After being grilled by the Jandiala SHO under suspicion of Bali’s murder Fasih tries claiming Mohsin is also from the Karachi police. The lie falls flat though as the police verify Mohsin’s and Fasih’s identity. With both cops and mob bosses after him Mohsin convinced Fasih to run away from the prison—after all, he had escaped from Central Jail in Karachi, so what was this little prison in Jandiala? I don’t know what was more impressive—Mohsin’s escape skills or Fasih’s dim-wittedness. Let’s hope Fasih’s was better at being a fugitive than catching one.
Also on the run, are young fugitives Babrik (Danyal Zafar) and Zallay (Meerub Ali). Now that their village is a no-go zone, the couple’s future remains uncertain. As they seek refuge in a friends house I can’t help dreading “yet another character!”.
As always the suspense continues as the show leaves us with a cliffhanger to mull over until the next week!
