Crime thriller doubles up as social drama

Dahaad

(Hindi/Amazon Prime)

Directors: Reema Kagti, Ruchika Oberoi

Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma

Rating: 4/5

The gritty no-nonsense police procedural is having a moment and ‘Dahaad’, set in small-town Rajasthan, is quite the high point of this welcome trend. The eerie opening montage ably sets the tone for this social drama cleverly disguised as a crime thriller.

In Mandwa, police officers Devi Lal Singh (Gulshan Devaiah), Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) and others are dealing with everyday volatility, thanks to so-called love jihads and caste politics. Bhaati, though resigned to the entirely normalised bias around her, spiritedly snarls at the jibes she gets (because of her caste). Amidst all this, a series of missing woman complaints begin to look frighteningly similar, forcing the officers to sniff out a serial killer on the loose. Reminiscent of the BBC series The Fall where the audience knows upfront who the killer is, this Zoya Akhtar-Reema Kagti chiller weaves in caustic social commentary without being preachy.

‘Dahaad’ is binge-worthy primarily because it is not indulgent; its watertight plot with no extra trimmings works for it greatly.

The series is lifted several notches higher, all due to the razor-sharp performances of the lead actors. Bengaluru boy Gulshan Devaiah’s performance is a clear standout despite Vijay Varma’s deliciously slimy, terrifyingly subtle interpretation of your guy-next-door serial killer. Watch Devi struggle with his attraction for Bhaati and the grace he brings to the screen when talking birds and bees with his son. Sonakshi Sinha holds her own well enough against such competition while Sohum Shah, who plays Parghi, a fellow police officer, is a natural. A minor grouse is that the finale seemed rushed after such a measured build-up.