Web Series Review: HUNKKAAR - THE ROAR is a hard hitting courtroom drama that works due to various plusses
Star Cast: Aneet Kaur Padda, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Raghubir Yadav, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub
Director: Karan Darius Kapadia, Nitya Mehra
Synopsis:
HUNKKAAR - THE ROAR is the story of a brave girl whose fight for justice sparks a revolution. Seventeen-year-old Meenu Rawat (Aneet Kaur Padda) walks into the Kharganj, Madhya Pradesh police station with her father, Dharampal Rawat (Rajesh Sharma), and mother (Charu Shankar). She alleges that Sunil Chakosi aka Baap ji (Raghubir Yadav) sexually assaulted her. The cops are hesitant at first, as Baap ji is a prominent godman with lakhs of followers. ACP Jasleen Singh Soin (Fatima Sana Shaikh), an inexperienced police officer, is given charge of the high-profile case. From the very beginning, Meenu and Jasleen realize that their fight is not going to be easy, not just because of Baap ji's immense popularity but also because there is no evidence to support the allegation. Moreover, the other students of Baap ji's ashram-run Mahasherni Vidyalaya are unwilling to go against the man they have been taught to worship. Nevertheless, the matter reaches court. With great difficulty, the police find a lawyer to represent the prosecution – Babban Rao Bhalerao (Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub). However, he hasn't won a case in five years and is pitted against the mighty Govind Ved Prakash (Ram Kapoor). What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Hunkkaar - The Roar Story Review:
Karan Darius Kapadia, Heeraz Marfatia and Sourabh Ratnu's story is inspired by real events and is quite impactful. Karan Darius Kapadia, Heeraz Marfatia and Sourabh Ratnu's screenplay is captivating. But there are too many characters and subplots and moreover, the writing gets stretched and even complex. Ravinder Randhawa's dialogues are hard-hitting and different from the rest of the shows and films.
Karan Darius Kapadia and Nitya Mehra's direction is exemplary. There have been several films and shows about godmen sexually exploiting devotees, such as AASHRAM, MAHARAJ and SIRF EK BANDAA KAAFI HAI, and all three have been memorable. However, HUNKKAAR - THE ROAR takes a different approach, with greater emphasis on the courtroom proceedings. Also, unlike MAHARAJ, it is set in the present day. Several scenes are highly memorable. The show begins on an intriguing note, while the video-recording sequence is one-of-a-kind and disturbing. Meenu showing the middle finger and Jasleen smartly luring Baap ji out of the ashram during his arrest make for an interesting watch. Baap ji’s conduct in court, particularly after the loss of a loved one and later when he loses his cool, takes the cake. Another fantastic scene shows reporters across news channels parroting the same lines in defence of Baap ji. Several sequences are enhanced by smart intercutting, which adds to the impact. One such sequence that stands out shows Baap ji killing mosquitoes even as people elsewhere are being murdered.
On the flipside, the web series has seven episodes, most of them running for nearly 50-55 minutes, while the finale has a runtime of 66 minutes. There are too many characters and subplots. Moreover, a few characters reappear after a long gap, and it takes a while to recall who exactly they are. The track involving Meenu’s classmate Bhaskar ends abruptly and feels forced. The track dealing with Jasleen’s past is moving, but it is not handled deftly. As a result, the interest level dips during some of the scenes involving Jasleen and her brother. A few developments are also unconvincing. It is difficult to digest that the cops at Kharganj Police Station agree to register a rape case against a powerful figure like Baap ji. The character of Amitabh Sinha (Arjun Mathur) is very well-written, but it is strange to see him repeatedly operate while disregarding his editors’ orders. He does face the consequences eventually, but that development comes too late. The scene involving a character entering the court with a gun also feels forced and childish. It is difficult to believe that someone could enter such a high-security zone with a weapon, especially when a sensational case is being heard. The scene would have retained its impact even without this element.
Hunkkaar - The Roar Performances:
Aneet Padda (credited as Aneet Kaur Padda) is the biggest selling point of the show and delivers yet another power-packed performance after SAIYAARA [2025]. In several scenes, she has no dialogues, and her expressions do all the talking. Her monologue is heartbreaking and further proves that this powerhouse of talent is here to stay. Fatima Sana Shaikh, too, puts her best foot forward. Her character is inexperienced yet a go-getter, and Fatima balances these contrasting aspects nicely. Raghubir Yadav takes the cake with his performance as the villainous godman. He ensures that his portrayal stands apart from similar characters seen in this space. Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub and Arjun Mathur leave a tremendous mark with their powerful performances. Ram Kapoor is aptly cast and does very well. Surprisingly, he is credited as a ‘Special Appearance’ despite having substantial screen time. Veen (Kashyap; Baap ji's son) is the surprise of the show. Zoya Hussain (Shivani) and Mohan Kapur (Editor) deliver memorable performances. Rajesh Sharma, Charu Shankar and Seema Biswas (Judge) are fair. Vipin Sharma (Anand's father) is decent but is not utilized effectively. Masood Akhtar (Ashwin Shri Kumar) and the actors playing Amrita, Jaideep Modak, Vikaal, Jyoti, Asha, Kesarlal Bhalerao and Inspector Santosh are fine.
Hunkkaar - The Roar music and other technical aspects:
HUNKKAAR - THE ROAR is a song-less show. Subhajit Mukherjee's background score does justice to the theme and mood. Kabir Tejpal and Kavin Jagtiani's cinematography is praiseworthy. Certain shots are shot at a very close range of the characters and yet, it works well. Manini Mishra's production design is cinematic, while Gopika Gulwadi's costumes are straight out of life. Dipika Kalra and Zainab Shakil's editing could have been sharper.
Hunkkaar - The Roar Review Conclusion:
On the whole, HUNKKAAR - THE ROAR is a hard-hitting and impactful courtroom drama that works due to its exemplary direction, powerful performances and several memorable sequences. The excessive length, multiple sub-plots and a few unconvincing developments dilute the impact to an extent. Nevertheless, its strong subject, gripping courtroom portions and the curiosity to see what Aneet Padda has to offer after SAIYAARA should help the show attract healthy viewership.
Rating – 3.5 stars
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