What Is Kaafir (Web Series) All About?
“Kaafir” is an Arabic term for infidel or nonbeliever. The web series is based on a story of a Pakistani woman, who accidentally crosses the LOC and eventually lands up in a prison on the Indian Territory, for being an infiltrator and terrorist. Kainaaz Akhtar, the protagonist spends 7 years in prison and gives birth to a daughter too. But one day, an Indian lawyer-turned journalist Vedant (Mohit Raina) attempts to learn the real story behind Kainaaz’s predicament and eventually unfolds the truth.
Inspired by real events, Kaafir attempts to inject hope, peace and goodwill within a system marred by hatred and prejudices. In other words, I would say that Kaafir is not a mere story of Indians and Pakistanis; rather it transcends the concept of borders and hyper-nationalism.
Watch the heartfelt series Kaafir on ZEE5
Major Themes In Kaafir – A ZEE5 Web Series
Whenever a Kashmir-based story is told, it tries to evoke hyper-sensitivism in us. Kaafir in this sense is based more on the “human” side of us.
Kaafir gives a universal message of humanity. We are in a time when the relations between India and Pakistan are extremely tense, and it seems that there’s no hope of revival of talks to resolve the Kashmir issue (the bone of contention since 1947). At this point, this web series comes in like a fresh breeze of air that rejects the idea of hatred and jingoism-currently prevailing in India. It tries to foster a feeling of hope and goodwill between the people of two South Asian neighbors, who are at loggerheads.
When Vedant’s love for his country is questioned by his own kin; he tells them that he wants to redeem himself of the guilt that he is carrying since the death of his brother. Kaafir makes us understand that our patriotism has nothing to do with hatred for our enemies or people whom we don’t like.
You also learn how a mother fights for a better and free life for her daughter Seher (Dishita Jain), who was born in captivity in India and considers herself an Indian. Despite being not accepted on either side of the border, Kainaaz fights for the future of her daughter. No matter what the circumstances are, a mother’s love for her child is incomparable.
The web series dares to tell a story based on the themes of #HumanityIsMyreligion, #HumanityIsMyFaith, #LoveAgainstHatred and is definitely worthy of watching.
I personally liked the dialogues delivered by Dia Mirza at the end of the web series: “Kudrat sabke liye ek hai. Insaan he lakeerein banata hai” (Nature is the same for everyone. It is us humans who create boundaries). These words sum up the core message that the ZEE5 series wants us to understand.
Title: Kaafir
Year of Release: 2019
Director: Sonam Nair
Writers: Bhavani Iyer
Genre: Thriller, Drama, Web Series
Number of Seasons: 01
Number of Episodes: 18
Episode Length: 32-55 minutes each; about 8 hours in total
Original Network: ZEE5
Production Companies: Alchemy Films
Written by: Absar Ahmad