What Is the Story About?
Karm Yuddh on Disney Plus Hotstar is centred on the high-profile Roy family of Kolkata, and the power tussles within. Bhisham Roy (Satish Kaushik) is the head of Roy Industries, but his paralysed younger brother Vardhan Roy’s (Rajesh Khattar) wife, Indrani Roy (Paoli Dam) dreams of being the numero uno at the company. Bhisham’s step brother Guru Shastri (Ashutosh Rana) is another cog in the complex wheel that is the Roy family. Each of the three wants to snatch sole power, no matter the cost.
Performances?
Performances are the brightest spot in the cluttered canvas of Karm Yuddh. Paoli Dam is excellent as the strong-willed Indrani Roy. Her face is often a steely mask of resolve, quite becoming of the power woman that she plays in the series. Satish Kaushik is superb too, nailing his enigmatic role with ease. Ashutosh Rana seems a little out of sorts in the role he’s been cast in.
Pranay Pachauri is fast becoming a reliable and efficient actor. He hits just the right acting chops as Samar. Ankit Bisht is cute as the love-addled Abhimanyu Roy. Chandan Roy Sanyal is a tad over the top as dubious newsman, Bagchi. Nitin Mirani makes an impressive web debut as CBI officer Raghuveer. Anjana Sukhani, Tara Alisha Berry and Soundarya Sharma lend adequate support.
Analysis
Karm Yuddh on Disney Plus Hotstar has an interesting and complex premise at its core. However, the plot is spread too thin owing to the multitude of characters that flit in and out of the story. Not just the inflated cast, the sheer number of subplots also numb the mind of the viewer as they try to grapple with who’s who, who’s doing what, to whom and why.
The writers have tried to squeeze in every possible plot idea into the narrative – environmental impact of dubious corporate activities; sabotage; the naxalite angle; an ill-fated romance; illegitimate progeny and their legitimate concerns; power grabs, betrayals and conspiracies; a relentless bunch of police investigators digging around for dirt on the corporate biggies; boardroom intrigue; and what not. And oh yes, even the now-mandatory same sex romance.
With so much squeezed into eight 40-minute episodes, it’s obvious that the most resilient viewer will be left baffled and bewildered with the onslaught of plots and subplots. The saving grace of it all is the casting – it is on-point and just perfect. Every actor does justice to their respective characters, putting in their heart and soul into their performances.
To sum it up, Karm Yuddh on Disney Plus Hotstar is a good watch, which could have been made better with a tighter, less convoluted narrative.
Music and Other Departments?
Srijan Vinay Vaishnav’s background score has elements of mystery and enigma in it, which works well with the overall narrative of Karm Yuddh. Sunita Radia’s camerawork is competent though nothing exceptional. Sanjay Sharma’s editing is economical and efficient. Ravi Adhikari’s direction is surprisingly good.
Highlights?
Casting
Performances
Drawbacks?
Too many unnecessary subplots
Convoluted and confusing narrative
Did I Enjoy It?
I found it average
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, but with reservationsKarm Yuddh Hindi Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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