What Is the Story About?
The second season of Raktanchal takes off four years after the events of the first one. Vijay Singh (Kranti Prakash Jha) is back but remains a ghost under the guidance of Ramanand Rai. However, his ‘act’ on return leads a cop from Mumbai, Himanshu Patnaik, on his trail.
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, the political equations are heating up as the Chief Minister chair is up for grabs. Saraswati (Mahie Gill), Waseem Khan (Nikitin Dheer) and Ramanand Rai (Ashish Vidyarthi) are the front runners for the post. How is Vijay Singh connected to all these is the basic plot of the series.
Performances?
Unlike the first season, Kranti Prakash Jha is mostly a passive, albeit assertive, presence in Raktanchal 2. He does his part well, but there is nothing new on offer, and the role itself feels like one among the various cast.
Nikitin Dheer, too suffers from the same problem as Kranti Prakash Jha. Although we get glimpses of his decent work from the first season, the role lacks the meat.
The real players who impress in the second season are the supporting characters. They have decent yet vital roles in taking the narrative forward. The first one that immediately stands out is Karan Patel as Himanshu. He plays the cop who has an investigative track leading to Vijay. He has done his part well and helps in keeping the narrating intriguing.
Ashish Vidyarthi and Mahie Gill are further new additions who do well. The former gets a substantial role after a gap and is always a welcome presence. The latter has done similar parts recently but in different setups. She is alright.
Soundarya Sharma has an evolving part that seems vital for the next season. Mukesh Bhatt and Vikram Kochhar are superb, even though the former’s track gets tiring after a while. The rest of the actors are adequate in their brief but key roles.
Analysis
Ritam Srivastav directs Raktanchal 2. Although a fictional tale, the story takes a lot of inspiration from real-life events. The second season additionally adds political incidents to it.
The second season of the series feels like a set-up to the next chapter. The primary characters take a backseat to the supporting parts, which take the narrative forward.
The politics of the land, as usual, is the canvas on which the whole drama unfolds. It is here that we see an utterly predictable narrative taking place. There are small twists and turns regularly, but not all of them have the impact. Some can be from miles away.
Despite the predictability, the drama (courtesy of the good actors) holds the attention intermittently. The investigation track further helps the cause even if it looks like reaching a dead end.
The subplots featuring the more minor characters could have been cut short. They add to the length and make the characters and their action look repetitive.
The series starts well but stagnates after a point. It then picks up again towards the end. However, as everything appears like a set-up to the next instalment, there is an underwhelming feeling to everything.
Overall, Raktanchal 2 is in the same zone as the first season. It has good actors who play out routine tropes with engaging narrative in parts. If you like political dramas, even if they are on predictable terrain, give Raktanchal 2 a try.
Music and Other Departments?
Anand Badekar’s background score is decent. Some bits do help in giving the right high momentum. But, there is equally unremarkable work. Vijay Mishra’s cinematography could have been much better, considering the backdrop and the scope. Faisal Mahadik’s editing is okay. The writing is par for the course for the heartland setting.
Highlights?
Casting
Some Dramatic Moments
Few Twists And Turns
Drawbacks?
Predictability
Routine Narrative
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, Very Few Parts*Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Huge ReservationsRaktanchal Season 2 by Binged Bureau
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