Grahan Review: Thank you Disney and entire team of this series for showing this dark chapter of Indian history in best possible way
Grahan Web Series Rating: 4 Stars
Just watched Grahan web series on Disney Plus Hotstar VIP. So let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Pavan Raj Malhotra, Zoya Hussain, Wamiqa Gabbi, Anshuman Pushkar, Sahidur Rahaman, Teekam Joshi, Abhinav Pateria, Satyakaam Anand, Sudhanva Deshpande, Sukhwinder Chahal, Shreedhar Dubey and Nandish Sandhu.
Director: Ranjan Chandel
Release Date: 24th June 2021 (On Disney Plus Hotstar VIP)
Duration: 8 Episodes/ 45 Minutes
Story: Series is inspired by Satya Vyas Hindi book Chaurasi and brings alive two sides of the same story set three decades apart. Set in Ranchi Jharkhand, the series begins in 2016 with the abduction and murder of a young journalist Santosh (Shreedhar Dubey). He was trying to unearth the names responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Bokaro, which led to the killing of numerous Sikhs. The carnage resulted after Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.
Righteous IPS officer Amrita Singh (Zoya Hussain) believes in using her position to bring about a change in society. Posted at Ranchi, she lives with her Sikh father Gursevak Singh (Pavan Malhotra), who wants her to marry and move to Canada with her fiancé Karthik (Nandish Sandhu). While on a case involving the killing of an honest journalist, she catches the attention of top politicians Sanjay Singh (Teekam Joshi) who try to influence her. Tired of the constant interference of upar se orders on her cases, she is on the verge of resigning when she is asked to reopen investigation into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Bokaro.
It’s election season in Jharkhand so the Chief Minister Kedar Bhagat (Satyakaam Anand) sets a new Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Amrita to investigate cold cases from the riots in Bokaro along with her deputy Vikas Mandal (Sahidur Rahaman). However, during the investigation, she finds out that her father, Gursevak Singh is accused of being one of the rioters.
Parallelly the series also narrates the love story in 1984 of Rishi Ranjan (Anshuman Pushkar) and Manu AKA Manjeet Chhabra (Wamiqa Gabbi). However, things take a rough turn when the anti-Sikh riots break out in the country in 1984, after the assassination of India’s then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. The town is out for vengeance, and Rishi heads a team of rioters bent on burning the house of his lover. But did he do it or there’s more to this than meets the eye? This 1984 story has an important link to the case and Amrita. Will she able to find the truth is all about the story.
Positives
1. Excellent performances
2. Story
3. Direction
4. Climax
5. Music
6. Screenplay
Negatives
1. Slow and boring at few places
2. Few Unexplained plot
Durgesh Tiwary’s View : It rarely happens that a series is better than its trailer and this series is just excellent.
Inspired by Satya Vyas’s novel Chaurasi, Grahan recounts the 1984’s anti-Sikh riots in Bokaro through the eyes of a personal and very emotional story. The show follows IPS officer Amrita Singh who leads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) set to uncover the events in the Bokaro riots. While Amrita becomes a pawn to the political agents in 2016, she soon takes interest in the investigation for personal reasons. Amrita discovers that her father Gursevak could have been involved in the riots that took place three decades ago. Amrita confronts her father who refuses to give her an explanation. Despite his reservations about her investigating the riots, she decides to uncover the truth about her family. Will Amrita be able to find the truth?
It is the first series to deal with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Given the horrific nature of the violence that was perpetrated and the scars it left, easy-on-the-eye-and-mind entertainment is the last thing this show is out to serve up. The series deals with riots and its aftermath, while also encompassing a bygone romantic tale. The makers have dealt with a topic like a riot with utmost sensitivity. The series traverses through two different timelines, maintaining the old-world charm while showing the yesteryears. The story unfolds in a manner that keeps the viewers hooked to the series till the end. Along with suspense and action, Grahan also has drama but it never goes over-the-top.
OverallWhether is is story, direction, screenplay, music, performances everything is beyond awesome. the series can be easily binge-watched over the weekend. This might also interest the millennial kids in trying to find out about a forgotten chapter and one of the dark chapters of Indian history which is not often talked about. My view on this web-series Highly Recommended
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