BOTTOM LINE: Mostly Old Wine In Old Bottle With Few Engaging Parts
Rating: 5.75/10
| Platform: MX Player | Genre: Crime |
What Is the Story About?
Bhaukaal is based on real incidents in Muzzafarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The town is referred to as crime capital of India. How an SSP Naveen Sikhera (Mohit Raina) takes on the criminals of the town head-on? Sikhera’s mismanagement and heroics, is what the series is all about?
Performances?
Mohit Raina plays the lead role of a cop, Naveen Sikhera. He is an idealistic, straightforward, and righteous guy who has only one mission in his mind. The actor aptly showcases the qualities that are required for the character. He seems to be that way without trying to ‘act’, which makes his job a little bit easier.
Mohit Raina neatly portrays the many emotions and shades of the character. The problem is that he doesn’t take it to the next level to make the role memorable. Every actor worth his salt gets that one cop role worth remembering and be proud of. The character of Sikhera could have turned out like iconic Samar Pratap Singh from Shool. Alas, that doesn’t happen here.
The act of Mohit Raina as Sikhera is fine as long as the series lasts. There is nothing in it to take beyond and worth remembering.
Analysis
Jatin Wagle has a simple yet difficult job at hand with the content of Bhaukaal. The story here is predictable, and we have seen many times before. The real inspiration and incidents are already used for many flicks. Jatin’s job was to provide a gripping narration through a succinct screenplay. That, unfortunately, doesn’t happen.
The series starts on a very predictable note. We see one cliché coming after the other. The wait continues for the seriousness to build some intense momentum. It arrives when the lead comes face to face with the antagonist.
The momentum dips once again, and it picks up only after the vigilance, and undercover angle is introduced into the narrative. It is only then that we actually feel that it is a period setting. We are given an introduction at the start regarding the time frame, but the proceedings are so generic that, it never occurs.
Once, Sikhera establishes an encounter team, and simultaneously the vigilance activities take place, Bhaukaal comes alive. It is, however, not sustained, and is felt only in parts. The chemistry between the encounter gang, the infiltration, are appealing aspects. The rest of the talk including cringy flashback bits etc. only drag the predictable. The feeling of datedness throughout also doesn’t help the cause.
Still, Bhaukaal is not all bad, as the final few episodes have more parts that engage than not. The climax especially gives us a glimpse of how extraordinary viewing Bhaukaal could have been, and what it has turned out eventually.
In the end, if one loves cop sagas, no matter how predictable, Bhaukaal is a decent watch with a few engaging moments. Others can view it on fast-forward option barring those few engaging parts.
Other Artists?
Abhimanyu Singh is given what could have been another memorable part after Rakta Charitra. Sadly, he looks jaded and just going through the motions for the most parts. There are only a few sequences where we get a glimpse of how good an artist he is and how little it has been explored in Bhaukaal.
The entire team of encounter gang are good. They share chemistry which is palpable and are so are the supporting parts in the gangster side. They help us stay the course and make the whole thing less boring. Sunny Hinduja and Ravi Pandey are the standouts among them. The rest are alright with sketchy characters given to them.
Music and Other Departments?
The music by Gaurav Dasgupta and Roshin Balu is mostly unremarkable. The cinematography by Yashveer Singh is pretty ordinary. The entire series feels like a short film when the content demanded and could have been made at a much better quality. The editing by Umesh Gupta is okay. The writing is superficial, mostly. The usage of profanity could have been reduced a little and focus should have been more on bringing the inner psyche (on either side) of the principal characters.
Highlights?
Final few Episodes
Supporting Cast
Few Gripping Moments
Drawbacks?
Predictable Narration
Cinematography
Weak Writing
The Middle Portions That Drag
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, a few parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with huge reservations
Review by Siddartha Toleti
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