Director: Aditya Datt
Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Anurag Kashyap, Harleen Sethi, Saurabh Sachdeva, Aishwarya Sushmita
Where: Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar
Rating: ***
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This review is based on the series' first six episodes, which promises a clash between a deadly villain and a daring cop. It’s a classic take on a cop-vs-villain chase, except that the police officer is not actually an officer of the law.
What begins as a con game soon escalates into a web of serious crimes. The series opens with a sex scene where Arjun (Gulshan Devaiah) and his girlfriend Kiki (Aishwarya Sushmita) try to con a businessman in a hotel suite. Their ploy goes awry, and while escaping from the hotel, they become entangled in the murder of renowned journalist Anand Mishra.
To extricate himself from the mess, Arjun turns to Karan (Gulshan Devaiah), his estranged identical twin brother who is a police inspector. They meet at the docks, where Karan is in the midst of a secret operation against the mafia. In the crossfire between the mafia and the police, Karan gets shot, and thus, Arjun impersonates Karan.
The series, adapted by Rensil D’Silva from the German crime series ‘Bad Cop – Kriminell Gut’, is styled in an equally fast-paced narrative that does not prioritize realism. With its tangled plotlines and dramatic twists, it feels like a rollercoaster that’s forgotten its tracks. One moment you’re watching a con job gone wrong, and the next, you’re thrown into a murder mystery with more holes than Swiss cheese. The identical twin trope? Classic. But the deus ex machina are so frequent, you might start believing in miracles.
How Arjun manoeuvres through Karan’s personal and professional life as a police officer forms the crux of the series. While Arjun stepping into Karan’s shoes might sound thrilling, you’re left wondering if Karan is lounging on a beach somewhere while Arjun plays dress-up.
Yes, the writing is weak, but the dialogues written by Hussain Dalal are worth mentioning. They are dramatically classic and shine in the narrative.
On the performance front, the ace actors bring the quirky characters to life. Gulshan Devaiah does a commendable job juggling his dual roles, but Anurag Kashyap’s villain Kazbe lacks the menace we hoped for. Saurabh Sachdeva's CBI officer Arif Khan is so exaggerated, he could be a cartoon character. Haarleen Sethi as Karan’s wife Devika is subtle in her delivery, but her Marathi is as forced as a cat in water. While Aishwarya Sushmita is natural as Arjun’s girlfriend Kiki, the other supporting actors also deliver convincing performances. Among them, Grusha Kapoor, in her guest appearance, steals the show with her moment of on-screen glory.
Under the astute direction of Aditya Datt, the series shines with its ace production values, high-octane action sequences and brilliant cinematography.
So, if you’re in it for the high-octane action and don’t mind a plot that stretches credulity to its limits, this series is your ticket. Just remember, at the start of every episode, you're reminded: “This series is a work of fiction and is meant for entertainment purposes only.” Well, they got that part right.
