Web Series Review: Sultan Of Delhi

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

October 13, 2023 - 12:01 PM IST

SULTAN OF DELHI is the story of an ambitious man who becomes the ruler of a city. After the partition, Ashok Bhatia (Bijay Anand), who is based in Lahore along with his family, is forced to leave and rush to India. His family members are killed. Only he and his son Arjun survive. Both reside in a refugee camp at Lajpat Nagat, Delhi. Ashok loses his mind due to the deaths of his loved ones. The young Arjun slowly finds ways to earn money and face the ruthless elements in the camp. 15 years pass. The year is 1962. Arjun (Tahir Raj Bhasin) has grown up to be a dashing young man. He meets Dilendu aka Bangali (Anjjum Shharma) and they become close friends. Arjun works as a mechanic with a man whom he met at the refugee camp and whose daughter Preeti (Harleen Sethi) loves Arjun. The man asks Arjun to work for his boss, Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak). As luck would have it, Bangali, too, works with Jagan. Jagan is into illegal activities and Arjun and Bangali impress him with their ways to hoodwink the authorities. This is when Jagan Seth joins hands with Rajender Pratap Singh (Nishant Dahiya), the rich heir to the deceased, Shyam Prasad Singh (Samir Suhag). Rajender is in complete control of his and his late father's mistress, Shankari Devi (Anupria Goenka). He detests Arjun and it leads to friction between the two. The matter gets serious when Rajender not only gets Arjun arrested but even tries to woo the latter's love interest, Sanjana (Mehreen Pirzada). What happens next forms the rest of the series.

Web Series Review: Sultan Of Delhi

SULTAN OF DELHI is based on the book of the same name by Arnab Ray. Suparn S Varma's story is cinematic and replete with some interesting characters and settings. Suparn S Varma's screenplay is uncomplicated. The characters are fleshed out nicely and the dynamics they share with each other make for a dramatic watch. However, there are gaps in the narrative that should have been filled for a better impact. Karan Vyas' dialogues are heroic and clapworthy.

Milan Luthria and Suparn S Varma's direction is neat. Milan had earlier helmed ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI [2010] and the trademark stamp of this film is visible in this show, be it the machismo, mass appeal, background score, period setting etc. The character of Shankari Devi, especially, has been depicted in a stylish and cunning manner, and it’ll surely be loved. Also, the show never gets boring or dragging and keeps one intrigued. A few scenes that stand out are the Russian roulette sequence, Arjun meeting Farooq and stripping, the Arvind Tripathi sequence, Arjun’s arrest etc. The last episode is intriguing.

On the flipside, a few developments happen and characters appear all of a sudden. For instance, Rajender’s brother and Daniel enter the narrative without context. The reason behind Jagan Seth’s defeat is never given. Also, Harish Kumar standing against Jagan could have been another interesting dramatic face-off. But the makers didn’t focus on it at all. Viewers never get prior intimation about it either. Then a few plot points occur very conveniently. Arjun pulls off a daring heist in Kolkata and the cops never take action even after learning of the robbery. Lastly, the death of a character at the very end is a shocker but it might leave viewers puzzled.

Tahir Raj Bhasin has tried his best to look and act like a massy hero. Except for a few scenes, he gets it right. Anjjum Shharma looks a bit different with the moustache. But he’s quite entertaining as the second leading actor of the show. Anupria Goenka hits the ball out of the park. Her character is unique, and she takes it further with her bravura performance. Mouni Roy (Nayantara) has a very late entry. She has an amazing screen presence but performance-wise, she’s just fine. Nishant Dahiya leaves a huge mark. Vinay Pathak is dependable as always. Harleen Sethi delivers a lovely performance. But her character disappears in the middle, and this surely won’t be well-received. Mehreen Pirzada is decent. Anil George (Farooq Mastaan) and Akanshi Bhalla (Farida Bi) are too good. Bijay Anand plays a difficult part with panache. Sunil Palwal (Sandhu), Shadab Kamal (Vaikunth), Salim Fatehi (Roy Babu) and Raj Sharma (Arvind Tripathi; messiah of the poor) lend able support.

The songs are okay. 'Tra La La La' is the best of the lot because of the retro feel and Mouni’s scintillating presence. 'Saaqiya' gives a déjà vu of ‘Pee Loon’ from ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI. 'Tujhe Pe Dil Haar Ke' is well-tuned but doesn’t leave an impact. Daniel B George's background score has the 70s vibe and is memorable.

Vishnu Rao's cinematography is neat. Jia Bhagia and Mallika Chauhan's costumes are glamorous. The ones worn by Anupriya Goenka stand out. Vikram Dahiya and Ali Abbas Moghul's action doesn’t have gore and works well. Madhur Madhavan, Swapnil Bhalerao and Mohan Nath Bingi's production design is reminiscent of the bygone era. Rajesh G Pandey's editing is sharp.

On the whole, SULTAN OF DELHI rests on fine performances, period setting and some dramatic moments. However, due to issues with the script, the desired impact is not made.

Rating: 2.5 stars