What Is the Story About?
Vicky Rai (Jatin Goswami) is a wealthy and obnoxious industrialist. He treats women as objects and always looks at things with a business mind. It has led to creating many enemies who want him dead. However, as his father, Jagannath Rai (Ashutosh Rana), is a ruling party minister, he escapes from all crimes.
One of the crimes, a heinous one, gets Vicky in Jail. His father gets him out using all his influence, but the whole process has dented the image of both father and son. Vicky, to mend things with his enemies, arranges a grand party. It is also his last, as he gets killed. Who is the murdered is the basic plot of the series.
Performances?
The casting is one of the major assets of the series. Top names like Ashutosh Rana, Richa Chadha, Pratik Gandhi, Raghubir Yadav, Paoli Dam, Jatin Goswami, Vineet Kumar etc., are part of The Great Indian Murder.
Pratik Gandhi as a CBI officer, looks his most stylish yet. The styling is superb, like a star with the goggles and the suit and all. He also oozes confidence, as seen in Scam 1992. And that’s where the minor quibble also arises as he can’t seem to overcome that impression.
Richa Chadha has recently played a similar investigative officer part in Candy. Maybe it’s just the typecast aspect, but she doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It doesn’t mean she is not good, which isn’t the case. Richa Chadha is effective as usual.
Ashutosh Rana gets a juicy rule, and it is fun to watch him always. He holds the attention whenever he appears. Raghubir Yadav has an exciting role with two shades. He goes overboard in one to show the ‘difference’. It gets on nerves after the initial few scenes. Paoli Dam is on the same lines whenever she shouts. Jatin Goswami starts well, but it loses steam with the character. Shashank Arora has a moving part, and he delivers.
The rest of the cast includes the likes of Vineet Kumar, Sharib Hashmi, Guneet Singh, Himanshi Choudhary, Ameya Wagh, Deepraj Rana, Hemanth Mahaur Mani PR etc. are all okay. They do their small parts well and help fill up the space with their presence.
Analysis
Tigmanshu Dhulia of Haasil, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster (movie series), Paan Singh Tomar, fame directs The Great Indian Murder. He had also previously directed a few episodes of the series Criminal Justice and Out Of Love. The filmography suggests he is an experienced name, and it shows in the handling of The Great Indian Murder.
The power politics space is something Tigmanshu Dhulia has handled deliciously in the Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster movies. The Great Indian Murder is set in the ‘political’ background. And hence, it appears a bit weaker on that aspect if one has seen them.
The political drama, therefore, is to be seen only as a backdrop; the real interest lies in sustaining the narrative around the killer. The Great Indian Murder, when seen as a whodunit, delivers a good outing.
After an elaborate set-up in the opening episode, the rest of the series deals with potential killers or their possible motives. Here, the twists and turns are presented adequately in the narrative.
Another intriguing aspect of the narrative is the investigation aspect, as both the state police and CBI work together. The arc given to the latter to create is a ‘story’ for a crime is an excellent idea and neatly ties up the screenplay at the end.
The issues with The Great Indian Murder mainly crop up due to its length. Yes, there are multiple characters to deal with, and hence the length is needed, but still, the whole thing could be crispy told. Some sequences told from different perspectives feel repetitive and add to the problem.
The Mohan Kumar track is a perfect example of the length issues. It feels underwhelming after all the build-up at the end. It is just one case; there are three similar tracks where either one is sure to have a similar feeling. If it isn’t Mohan Kumar, it could be Munna for others or Eketi. That they are all neatly tied at the end helps overcome the issue.
A whodunit is at the end all about getting the killer right. Spoilers ahead and stop here if you don’t wish to know. Well, for that, one has to wait for another season.
Overall, The Great Indian Murder is a well-mounted whodunit in power politics. The casting and small twists and turns keep one hooked even though the length is an issue. If you like the genre, do give the series a try.
Music and Other Departments?
Raghu Dixit and Ketan Sodha are the music directors for the series. Their work is fine, but it wouldn’t really matter if they weren’t part of the narrative either. The latter provides the background score, and it’s superb. Rishi Punjab’s cinematography is another significant asset for the series. The whole thing has a grand look which is how it should be for a show of this vast scope. The editing by Unnikrishnan PP and Prathamesh Chande could have been better. The writing is adequate throughout.
Highlights?
Casting
Production Values
BGM
ScreenplayDrawbacks?
Length
A Few Subplots
Songs
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, For The Most PartWill You Recommend It?
YesThe Great Indian Murder Web Series Review by Binged Bureau
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