Kark Rogue Review – An Strictly Average, Flatly Executed Thriller

BOTTOM LINE: An Strictly Average, Flatly Executed Thriller

Rating: 5.5/10

What Is the Story About?

A female post-Mortem surgeon Beas Chatterjee (Chitrangada Chakravarthy), battling her post-cancer demons identifies something unusual with random dead bodies coming to the morgue. What looks like seemingly unrelated deaths are interconnected, according to her? What did Beas (Chitrangada) identify and are they really related to a larger scheme of things as she suspects, is what the medical thriller series is all about?

Performances?

Chitrangada Chakraborty looks perfect for the part. Not to be insensitive, but her whole demeanour makes one believe that she is indeed recovering from cancer. We can feel the pain in her face and voice. It is, therefore, a brilliant casting choice.

Right from the start to the end, there is a consistency with Chitrangada’s act. The frustration seems genuine and relatable, even though sometimes it feels overdone. For the narrative, which offers the best part to her, she has done a decent job.

Analysis

Utsav Mukherjee directs Kark Rogue which is based on a novel Karkat Kranthi by Indraneil Sanyal. The series is a thriller set up in the medical world revolving around the topic of cancer.

When seen as a whole, Kark Rogue appears very simple and predictable story-wise. It all seems so simple and straightforward. However, the screenplay and editing make Kark Rogue very uneasy watch.

The editing especially, where multiple unconnected scenes run in parallel makes the narrative muddled. The director keeps it that way until the end. If the intention is to confuse the viewer like the lead protagonist, it is nothing new. A thriller is supposed to keep them on the edge of their seats, but this is not how one would expect it to happen.

Still, despite the persistent issues, one does get intrigued by the time, the middle of the series is reached. The moment when things seem to be getting clearer one by one and the way it happens is satisfying. The editing also, helps the cause, at times. The joining the dots part is the fun and appealing aspect about Kark Rogue.

Another major issue with the series is its execution. It lacks something extra to give a thrilling feeling. Many scenes are executed flatly. The background score provides the punch instead of the actual visuals, at many points.

After all the build-up, the ending gives a feeling of rushed up. It isn’t a disappointment entirely; one gets a sense that it should have been executed better, properly.

Overall, Kark Rogue has an engaging mid-segment. If one can patiently sit through the initial portion, that is the first couple of episodes; then, one can get into a groove in the later chapters. If you love thrillers, do give it a try despite the monotonous execution, for the fun of it.

Other Artists?

Kark Rogue contains some well-known faces, more if one follows Bengali work regularly. Indraneil Sengupta gets an underwritten and underrepresented part. He is a crucial part of the story, but for the most part, seems to be missing in action. He does well in what is given to him.

Rajesh Sharma has a similar role like Indraneil, but he has a better impact. All his scenes have something going-on which keeps one interested in the proceedings. He plays his usual self, but that is always fine. Sudip Sarkar gets a perfect supporting part, for the main lead by Chitrangada. He is fine in his role, but it lacks the impact right through. One understands that feeling when we look at Arya Dasgupta. He has the shortest role among all, but is very critical (story-wise) and hence is easily memorable even if the performance is nothing to write home about.

Asit Basu is arresting for the brief moments, he appears. Jayant Kriplani is seen after a long time. He does well in the role as long it stays in the classy and smooth-talking zone. The rest like June Malia and others are wasted with a short run time.

Music and Other Departments?

The background score by Ralf Denker and Kanishka Sarkar is excellent, especially the recurring one with the whistle. Many a time, it overpowers the narrative. The cinematography by Prosenjit Choudhary is neat. The editing by Sanglap Bhowmik is messy, whether intentional or not. It makes the narrative muddled. The writing is decent and goes with the lazy pace of the show.

Highlights?

Middle Episodes Leading To The End
Casting
BGM
Basic Story

Drawbacks?

Screenplay
Editing
Ending
Cliché Parts

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, in parts

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, but with reservations

Kark Rogue Review by Siddartha Toleti

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