Star Cast: Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav
Director: Prosit Roy
Synopsis:
RAAKH is the story of a cop hunting for two dreaded killers. The year is 1978. Lt Col Ashok Arora (Aamir Bashir) lives with his wife Mona Arora (Sonali Bendre), 16-year-old daughter Suman (Divya Sharma) and 14-year-old son Sahil (Vivaan Sharma) in Delhi Cantonment. One rainy evening, Suman is about to leave for the radio station where she is scheduled to sing on air. Sahil also accompanies her. Ashok and Mona tune in to hear their darling daughter. However, some other girl gets to sing. At first, they assume that their children might not have reached on time. Soon, they realize that Suman and Sahil never made it to the radio station. The police are informed; SI Jayprakash Jatav (Ali Fazal) immediately starts his investigation and tries his best to find their whereabouts. But his efforts prove futile and the next day, Suman and Sahil are found brutally murdered in a forest-like area called the Ridge. The double murder shakes the country and Jayprakash is now under immense pressure to find the culprits as soon as possible. Meanwhile, a parallel track shows Babu aka Kumar (Akash Makhija) and Rajjo (Ramandeep Yadav) indulging in small criminal activities in Bombay, present-day Mumbai, four days before Sahil and Suman go missing. Their crimes soon escalate to murder and they escape to Delhi. What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Raakh Story Review:
Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket's story is inspired by true events and has been fictionalized to some extent. Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket's screenplay is captivating. The use of parallel tracks keeps audiences quite glued to the goings-on. Ayush Trivedi's dialogues seem straight out of life and yet are sharp.
Prosit Roy's direction is exemplary. He adds the required emotions and brutality and it helps in enhancing the impact manifold. In a novel instance, he doesn’t hide the identity of the killers. They are revealed in the first episode itself but not in a conventional manner. The story goes in a flashback made and the makers then balance showing the aftermath of the murder and the circumstances that led to it. As the story progresses, the makers also throw light on the backstories and that’s where the show gets even more chilling. There are a few scenes where one gets terrified as soon as Babu enters the frame. This happens in his flashback scene where he goes to meet his mother (Kalyanee Mulay) or the nurse, Meena (Namita Krishnamurthy). Meanwhile, the investigative scenes also keep the interest going. A particular sequence in the last 5 minutes of episode 7 will lead to jubilation for the audiences.
On the flipside, the show, at times, moves at a snail’s pace. Though we learn in detail how Kumar became a dreaded criminal, we don’t get to learn much about Rajjo. The track of Jayprakash and his father is engaging, but too much time is invested in it. The makers even go to the extent of showing that Jayprakash had a glimpse of Dr B R Ambedkar (Shyam Bhimsaria) in his childhood. Though the scene has relevance, it adds to the length and the makers should have thought of a better way of communicating the idea in lesser time. Secondly, the way Episode 7 ends, one might presume that it’s the end of the show. Ideally, the show should have ended on an exhilarating and emotional note. However, the makers chose to add another round of flashback. The sequence is extremely crucial but also disturbing; in fact, this crucial flashback could have been placed elsewhere in the show. To place it immediately after a clapworthy scene might work for some, but a section of the audience will be left disturbed and their joy will be short-lived. Maybe that was the idea, but it may not be accepted by some viewers.
Raakh Performances:
We have seen Ali Fazal play to the gallery in the commercial web series, MIRZAPUR. Here, he keeps his act subtle yet extremely strong. He has his flaws, but one still roots for him, even when he goes out of his way to catch the culprits. However, the stars of the show are Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav. They take RAAKH to dizzying heights. The makers delve deep into their psyche and the way they have totally gotten into the skin of their characters is truly award-worthy. Sonali Bendre, too, brings her character alive; one could feel what she’s going through and how she refuses to come to terms with the reality. However, her screen time is limited. Aamir Bashir is dependable. Divya Sharma and Vivaan Sharma are excellent and even spring a surprise. Rakesh Bedi (Ghanshyam) delivers yet another highly adorable performance. Anshul Chauhan (Nisar Rizvi) has a cool look and performance-wise, she’s first-rate. Baharul Islam (Dr Biswajit Baruah) and Dibyendu Bhattacharya (SP Indranil Hajra) lend able support. Sudhir Sangwan (Ballu Sodhi) and Mukund Pal (Pyare Mohan) have special appearances but they rock the show. Akash Sunil Sakpal (Jimmy) is aptly cast. Kalyanee Mulay is too good and watch out for her prosthetics; it’s quite well done. Namita Krishnamurthy, Dherendra Kumar Tiwari (Javed; cop), Mark Parakh (Freddy) and Naina Sareen (Deena) also perform ably.
Raakh music and other technical aspects:
Ajay Jayanthi and Parth Pandya's background score adds to the impact. Saumyananda Sahi's cinematography is praiseworthy. The Taj Mahal sequence and the one in the forest are memorable. Shailaja Sharma's production design is very well-researched. Darshan Jalan and Neelanchal Kumar Ghosh's costumes are in sync with the bygone era. Abdul Salam Ansari's action is disturbing. Manas Mittal's editing is fine, but could have been crisper.
Raakh Review Conclusion:
On the whole, RAAKH is a hard-hitting and disturbing series that works due to its gripping narrative, atmospheric treatment and strong performances. While Ali Fazal and Sonali Bendre leave a mark, it is Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav’s chilling acts that elevate the show considerably. Despite its slow pace at times, RAAKH makes for a compelling watch.
Rating - 3.5 stars
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