What Is the Story About?
Kasturi Dogra (Raveena Tandon) is the SHO, Sironah town. She is about to take leave for one year to care for the family’s domestic necessities. Angad Mallik (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) is her replacement. On the day Angad comes to replace her, the mysterious case of the disappearance of Aimee comes to their station.
Who is Aimee? What happened to her? The series core plot is how it shakes the top brass and who’s who of the Sironah.
The journey between Kasturi Dogra and Angad Mallik while investigating the case of Aimee and their personal lives form the rest of the series plot.
Performances?
Raveena Tandon, after some gap, is seen playing a substantial role, and she delivers. The part is perfect for her, offering various gamuts of emotions. The biggest challenge from a character perspective is to maintain naivety and yet be a tough cop. She does that well with ease. The dialogue delivery is like icing on the cake.
Parambrata Chattopadhyay plays the more intense, serious and straight-up cop. He is good on his part and delivers in crucial moments. The anger and rage are adequately utilised without going overboard.
Raveena and Parambrata have buddy-cop chemistry that works well for the overall narrative.
Analysis
Aranyak comes from the creative mind of Rohan Sippy. Vinay Waikul directs the series, a suspense and mystery drama about a missing girl who is later found dead. Finding the killer is the main hook of Aranyak.
On the surface level, there are many similarities between Aranyak and one of the recently released series, Candy. The hilly station has a female SHO, a town shaken by the gruesome death, a grieving father who is also part of the investigation, drugs, business, local politics and family drama. It is all too familiar, including a myth propagated in the town.
However, the difference is brought by the execution, casting and music choices. Of course, if one is not aware of Candy, it is even better, as the core premise and the setting are intriguing and draw one in instantly.
The problem with Aranyak is that despite a quick start to the investigation, there is a lot of lag before it takes off. The introduction of various characters and their worlds consume a lot of time. At times some events feel unnecessary and take us in an uninteresting direction. However, they are connected neatly towards the end.
The real drama begins mid-way when tension escalates in the narrative. One can sense some urgency. The proceedings pick up the pace, and a lot is happening without losing track of things. There is a simplicity to the whole thing and an evident lack of muddiness.
However, towards the final episodes, it feels as if the pressure to deliver something big after all the build-up has caught the creative team. It is all rushed, and the grand revelation looks so forced and even laughable. After the ‘reveal’, the entire proceedings look like a different series than what preceded it.
There is also work done to set up the sequel to the series. It is fine and doesn’t really interfere with the core narrative.
Overall, Aranyak gets its atmosphere and build-up right. It is top-notch, even with routine drama and lots of lag. But, the finale is where it leaves us with a mixed feeling. If you like thrillers, do give Aranyak a try, but have the expectations in check.
Other Artists?
The casting of Aranyak is superb. Many known performers are part of the series, and they do their job well. Ashutosh Rana easily stands out among them. He is scene-stealing whenever he appears in the frame. There is always intrigue with him around.
Zakir Husain is reliable as usual. He has been doing similar parts a lot in the past few years but still manages to keep them gripping. Indraneil Sengupta brings a lot of depth to his character, so much so that it feels overdone sometimes. Meghna Mallik is a welcome addition to the cast and helps in keeping the curiosity alive with her part. Taneesha Joshi, Wishvesh Sharkholi, and Vivek Madan are all good in their respective roles.
Music and Other Departments?
Ketan Sodha’s music is a great plus to the series. It is terrific and adds to the wonderful atmosphere created by the cinematographer Saurabh Goswami. His work is exemplary. Yasha Jaidev Ramchandani’s editing is neat and crisp. There is consistency in pacing for the most part. Charudutt Acharya’s writing is fine, generally, but there are some weak spots where all we have is banal chats.
Highlights?
Casting
Setting
BGM
Cinematography
Drawbacks?
Repetitive In Parts
Takes Time To Take Off
Rushed Ending
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But Little Reservations
Aranyak Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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