I need to issue a correction on my previous thoughts about Kafeel. Originally, I thought this was a slow-burn story about a mismatched couple. I was wrong. This is a horror story about endurance. Here is a review of Kafeel after almost of half of it is done.
We are now 13 episodes in, and the show has just taken a massive, jarring 20-year leap. If you thought Jamshed (aka Jami) was “just” a red flag in the early episodes, the latest twist has revealed him to be one of the most terrifying villains Umera Ahmed has ever written.
Here is where the show stands today.
1. The Monster Has a Name: Jami
Let’s stop calling him “misunderstood.” Emmad Irfani is playing Jami with a chilling level of narcissism.
- The Early Jami: Was charming, financially unstable, and slightly controlling.
- The Current Jami: Has morphed into a bitter, resentful patriarch who hasn’t worked a day in his life but controls every breath his family takes. The way he gaslights Zeba (Sanam Saeed)—blaming her for his lack of career, for the bills, for the children’s failures—is so realistic it makes your skin crawl. He isn’t the “evil landlord” villain; he is the “useless husband” villain, which is far more common in our society.
2. The “Time Jump” Tragedy
The writers made a bold choice jumping 20 years forward. Usually, this ruins a show. Here, it was necessary. We needed to see the cost of Zeba’s silence.
- The Consequence: She didn’t leave him in Episode 5. Now, in Episode 13, she is trapped with four children.
- The Mirror: Watching their son start to mimic Jami’s aggressive behavior is the most heartbreaking part of the new arc. It answers the audience’s frustrated question: “Why doesn’t she just leave?”
- Answer: Because now it’s too late. The chains are generational.
3. Sanam Saeed’s Silence Speaks Volumes
Sanam Saeed is doing something incredible here. She barely has any dialogue compared to Emmad. She plays Zeba not as a weak woman, but as a tired woman. The exhaustion in her posture, the way she hands over her salary without a fight—it depicts a woman who has been ground down by 20 years of emotional attrition.
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The Verdict
Kafeel is no longer an “easy watch.” It is frustrating. You want to scream at the screen. You want to shake Zeba. But that is exactly why it is brilliant. It is showing us that abuse isn’t always a slap. Sometimes, abuse is a husband who spends your money for two decades while making you feel like a burden.
Current Rating: 4.8/5 Stars. (Emmad Irfani deserves an award for making us hate him this much).
Are you liking the kids’ entry after the time jump, or was the prequel era better? Let me know!