What Is the Story About?
Disney Plus Hotstar’s newest Hotstar Specials show ‘Dahan‘ is a horror thriller, set in the backdrop of a sandy mountainous town called Shilaspura in Rajasthan. The town in under the sway of an ancient demon called ‘Ridhiyakan’, who must be kept appeased for him to lie dormant in his abode or Shila (a monolithic rock). When an irreverent IAS officer Avni Raut (Tisca Chopra) initiates blasts in the mountains for the sake of mining and development, the Shila develops cracks, unleashes ‘Raakans’ (monsters), and all hell breaks loose in Shilaspura.
Performances?
The performances of all the lead actors in Dahan border on the stellar. Saurabh Shukla as Pramukh Swaroop, local godman and caretaker of the Shila, is excellent. He’s matched ably by Rajesh Tailang (Parimal Singh), who delivers yet another flawless performance. Tisca Chopra is a sight to behold as troubled but determined IAS officer, Avni. She renders a powerful performance that keeps one invested in the story. Mukesh Tiwari is a treat to watch, as the enigmatic Circle Inspector, Bhairon Singh. The actor keeps you hooked to the story, and you can never gauge where his loyalties lie.
Pankaj Sharma as Avni’s assistant Sachet, Ankur Nayyar as ornithologist Sandeep Bajaj, Rohan Joshi as Avni rebellious son Anay, along with the rest of the efficient cast, lend superb support. Each actor brings convincing credence to their roles.
Analysis
Dahan dives headfirst into world-building, right from the first frame of the story. And it does an excellent job of it. The story begins in 1989, when a geologist and his young daughter set out to explore the alluring stones in the mountain caves that dot Shilaspura. The incident gives us our first glimpse of the dreaded ‘Raakan’, and the extent of its monstrosity. Who the geologist actually was is revealed in one of the later episodes of Dahan.
In several slow-burn episodes, Dahan gradually lets us into the perilous world of Mayavi, Haadika, the Kaaraapallis, the Nikaasiyas, the Raakans; and what each one means for the sanity—or not—of the town. As mentioned earlier, the world-building in Dahan is excellent. It makes the series gripping and edge-of-the-seat thrilling. The part of the story that deals with the research conducted by Dr Sandeep and Dr Arora (Naved Aslam) is also engaging and eminently believable. Dahan’s effort to view 5000-year-old supernatural happenings through the lens of science, and succeeding at it, is commendable.
The too-slow pace of the storytelling rankles majorly. But the story and its treatment is so engaging that you tend to overlook the glaring flaw. We run into the Raakans multiple times but it never feels repetitive or boring. The credit goes to the creativity of the writing, which lends subtle nuances to each incident with the supernatural. Dahan is also a subtle indictment of corporate greed, and its lack of concern for the ecology or environment of a place. Tisca Chopra’s character reveals certain unsavoury elements of modern governance and business. Instead of tiptoeing around the concerns of Shilaspura’s people, Avni rides roughshod over them and does things as per her brusque way. It depicts how drunk on power are the men and women mandated with implementing the rules of the government, who in turn is a puppet to the diktats of its corporate masters.
That said, Dahan has its share of flaws. The most significant flaw is the languid pace of the storytelling. Scenes progress so slowly at times that you’re compelled to hit the fast-forward button multiple times in each episode of the series. Another flaw in Dahan is the blatant inconsistencies in the narrative. Some people convert into Raakans instantly, while others’ monstrosity switches on and off at will (yes, we’re talking about Mahi). The climax and the discovery at the end is far-fetched and fantastical, made worse by the poor vfx in that scene.
To sum it up, Dahan is a commendable effort from director and creator, Vikranth Pawar, and definitely a one-time watch.
Music and Other Departments?
Writers Nisarg Mehta, Shiva Bajpai and Nikhil Nair have created a compelling story, studded with stellar world-building. Sunil Nigvekar’s production design is good. The settings, backdrops and the ambience lend a surreal quality to the storytelling. Arkhodeb Mukherjee’s cinematography is lovely. The visuals of the jagged terrain and the craggy mountains are beautiful to look at. Troy Arif’s music is apt for the horror that unfolds in the story.
Highlights?
Performances of lead cast
World-building
Narrative and premise
Drawbacks?
Too slow pace most of the time
Inconsistencies in the narrative
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, in parts
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, as a One-Time Watch
Dahan Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
