Dahaad Review: Lengthy thriller series that can test your patience despite engaging plot and excellent performances
Dahaad series Rating: 2.5 Stars
Just watched Dahaad on Prime Video. Let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, Sohum Shah, Vijay Varma, Manyuu Doshi, Yogi Singha, Sanghmitra Hitaishi, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, Varad Bhatnagar, Nirmal Chiraniyan, Vijay Kumar Dogra, Abhishek Bhalerao, and Waris Ahmed Zaidi.
Director: Reema Kagti, Ruchika Oberoi
Release Date: 12th May 2023 on Prime Video
Duration: 8 Episodes/ 50 Minutes
Story: Series is inspired by Mohan Kumar (serial killer), also known as Cyanide Mohan, is a serial killer who preyed on women looking for marriage. A series of mysterious disappearances of young women in Mandawa which is a small town in Rajasthan over a period of time makes the local police grow suspicious. Police station chief Devi Singh (Gulshan Devaiah), and his subordinates Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) and Kailash (Sohum Shah) initially pursue a case of inter-caste marriage but eventually stumble upon a series of unsolved, open-and-shut cases of women who disappeared or left home to live a life with a man they allegedly were in love with.
Anjali- a feisty local cop- gets more invested in the case as she joins the dots and is convinced that the mysterious disappearance and murders of women are linked to a common person. After a brief cat-and-mouse-chase, their suspicion rests on the most unassuming person. A Hindi literature professor Anand (Vijay Varma) teaches at a girls’ college and does social work over the weekend. A mild-mannered, soft-spoken man who is a doting father and a caring husband. But how to nab him when his record seems clear?
The question is whether he is capable of such a heinous act. If so, what is the reason? If not, who is the actual perpetrator? What follows is a riveting cat-and-mouse chase between a seasoned criminal and an underdog officer as Bhaati seeks evidence before another innocent woman loses her life.
Positives
1. Excellent Performances
2. Story
3. Direction
4. Background Music
5. Cinematography
Negatives
1. Lenth
2. Screenplay
3. Unanswered queries
4. Unnecessary sub-plots
5. Climax
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer planned to watch this series in my free time because loved the trailer also looked intense and engaging.
When a series of women are found dead in public bathrooms under mysterious circumstances, Sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati is tasked with leading the investigation. As the case unravels she begins to suspect that the seemingly clear-cut suicides may be the work of a serial killer on the loose, triggering a riveting game of cat and mouse between a seasoned criminal and an underdog cop.
Dahaad aims to weave multiple poignant conversations into one final product. To an extent, it does manage to bring together subplots seamlessly. While there is a lack of big moments in the series, some sequences stay back in the mind. It is also heartening to see a crime drama san the usual violence and abuses that have now become a norm in this genre on Indian OTT. Kudos to the makers for telling a story with such sophistication. The star of the show, though, is Vijay Varma. He has a more complex role and Varma does not disappoint. You almost feel sympathetic towards his character even though you are aware of how he is orchestrating one crime after the other. It touches upon the patriarchal system but doesn’t promote in-the-face feminism. Without screaming loudly, the directors make sure that the undercurrents are felt strongly. Despite having its set of flaws, Dahaad is extremely relatable. It is believable. The family dynamics explored in Dahaad are pitch-perfect and definitely work better than the investigation portions.
On the flipside, at times the scenes feel repetitive, and it would have been a lot better had the makers wrapped the series in 7 episodes. The show is too lengthy, and a few scenes could have been trimmed down to enhance the viewing experience. The love track of Sonakshi Sinha could have been presented well. Though it serves as a key link to the story, the execution isn’t great here. While one waits nearly for over 7 hours to know the exact reason why the killer is committing crimes, the climax disappoints big time. It is unnecessarily rushed, and it gives the feeling that the show ended all of a sudden. Also, a couple of subplots are left abruptly, and the team should have worked more on this aspect.
Overall, series is a watchable crime mystery show that boasts of some great performances. It has an interesting storyline, and there are some fine moments. The police investigative angle is handled well, and the best part is that it also talks about a few relevant social topics. The show could have been a very good one if not for the rushed climax and its excessive length. It works best in fragments than the whole. With a bustling plot and multiple things to savour, it would be right to say that the series is a great attempt at telling a new story. My view on this series Recommended those who love watching crime dramas.
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