Dahaad Review: A woman cop, riding a bullet and kicking it at a taekwondo class is not a very common sight. But that’s what Sonakshi Sinha mostly does in Amazon Prime Video’s latest series, Dahaad. We have seen quite a few women as protagonists in cop thrillers in the recent past. So nothing new about Dahaad there. But there is something about the series that appeals to the viewer.
This couple with near-perfect amalgamation of top male performers – Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma and Sohum Shah, makes Dahaad entertaining .
Sonakshi is exhilarating
Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) is a top performer in her taekwondo class. She is sassy, unapologetic and rides a bullet to work. She is a reliable cop and stands out at a workplace predominant with men. As happens in most middle class homes, her mother is after her life to find a match but she turns deaf ear. Anjali is a clean cop, is ready to beat men who pass lewd comments and is uncompromising. Basically, what one would for a cop to be.
She is handling a case to unravel a mystery surrounding multiple women being found dead in public toilets. While the deaths appear suicide, somehow the dots connect to one direction – a pyscho serial killer. Solving the mystery is an exhilarating cat-and-mouse chase involving police and the attacker.
Elements of truth in fictional story
The viewer can relate with Dahaad. There is casteism, typical ‘Muslim ladka Hindu ladki ko bhaga ke le gayo’ element, loss of lives for no reason and corruption. It’s a mix of truth punched within the thin coating of a fictional story.
A women cop in a police station full of men has no easy task on hand. How does she stand out? Bhaati has to face prejudice on a daily basis. Even children make fun of her because she rides a bullet. Goons call her names because she is a woman first and cop later.
Sonakshi as Bhaati has done a great job! While her accent isn’t smooth to the ears at the start, it grows on you before you notice. Her demeanour, body language, the ease with which she rides a bullet are a 10-on-10. It is good to see her back!
Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma and Sohum shine
As for the male actor, Gulshan Devaiah is fits into the character of a cop, one every Indian deserves. He doesn’t believe in bribes and stands up for what is right, even though it doesn’t mean growth. Full marks to him for his acting chops.
Vijay Varma is a treat to watch. A not-so-happily married professor with many secrets to himself – he is the odd one out in his family and is straight out of a modern dysfunctional family. He is a sadist in denial and forms the main crux of the story.
Sohum Shah as Kailash Parghi is smooth and spontaneous. He takes you along the flow and you don’t even know it!
Wish the plot was not predictable and didn’t have loose ends. Over-dramatisation is one big flaw.
Created by Reema Kagti-Zoya Akhtar and directed by Reema Kagti-Ruchika Oberoi, Dahaad is a decent take on modern day cop thrillers.
The show is likely to leave you hooked and before you know it, you’ll be onto the fifth episode!
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