Thoughts on ‘Dahaad’

The newest web series ‘Dahaad’, streaming on Amazon Prime and starring Sonakshi Sinha (in her OTT debut) and the brilliant Vijay Varma as protagonists involved in a cat-and-mouse crime thriller, is one that gives the term ‘binge watching’ a tremendously satisfactory appeal. Although, married women especially mothers busy with their home routines and work might not exactly get time to ‘binge watch’, this latest crime series expects the viewers to do just! Unable to watch the show in one go, I managed to derive my pound of satisfaction by watching it over the course of a few thrillingly ecstatic days.

The main drive was the superbly talented cast out of which Vijay Varma shines forth as the villain who steals the show. Although, he had stiff competition from the rest of the cast, especially Sonakshi (‘Dahaad’ is easily her best on-screen performance so far), he manages to keep the viewers rivetted to the unfolding drama anxious to see his next move in this pulsating crime series.

The storyline is simple - a case of missing girls who later turn up dead and the cops on the lookout for a serial killer on the loose - yet the narrative is devilishly tricky and manages to pique your attention. You almost begin to travel with the twists and turns in the plot and tend to come up breathless at each nerve-racking juncture, seemingly unaware that you had been holding your breath all along! The sleight of hand in the storyline is simply stupendous. Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, you've done an awesome job! 

The principal characters of Sub-Inspector Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi) and Anand Swarnakar (Vijay) are well rounded and fleshed-out. The supporting cast of SHO Devilal Singh (Gulshan Devaiah), SI Kailash Parghi (Sohum Shah), Vandana Swarnakar (Zoa Morani), Manyuu Doshi (Shiv Swarnakar) and others deliver enthralling performances that complement the efforts of the protagonists. 

The narrative holds our attention span longer than we anticipate. The angles of caste discrimination, gender disparities, murky politics and ultimately, the raw emotions of anger, cruelty, anguish, vindictiveness and sadism, all run parallel to the elements of a gripping and terse script that comes alive in the outstanding performances and the direction par excellence.

The story is intriguing, the dialogues magnetically realistic (especially the Rajasthani local dialect spoken by the cast to perfection), the editing crisp and the direction by Reema Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi flawless. There is no reason for anyone to not watch the show! So, go ahead and catch your moments of thrills galore!