Cartel review: Engrossing crime drama with stellar performances

Rating: 4/5

ALTBalaji‘s new web series ‘Cartel’ is set in Mumbai and follows the story of the five gangs that control its various regions. A tale of violence and deceit, complete with twists and turns will definitely not disappoint its viewers.

Story

Mumbai is split into five major regions, each run by a different gang that controls various underworld operations. The gangs have a long-standing peace agreement as long as they do not meddle with each other’s business.

The Dharavi region is run by the slumlord Raghunath Shetty aka ‘Anna’ (Kannan Arunachalam), Gajraj Yadav (Shubhrajyoti Barat) is based in the central suburbs, controlling the taxi and auto unions while also running a racket of all the beggars in the area. All things Bollywood and cricket are handled by ‘Chairman’ (Ashwath Bhatt), the smuggling, arms and drugs are dealt by ‘Khan’ (Anil George) and finally, the boss of Aarey and the architect of the peace agreement is ’Rani Mai’ (Supriya Pathak), the matriarch of the ‘Angre’ gang.

Right from the off, an attempt is made on Rani Mai’s life which puts her into a coma. Thus begins a complicated game of chess in order to gain power and topple the current regime. Bodies drop left and right as the search for the true mastermind goes on.

The ‘Angre’ business is now being handled by her nephews Madhukar Mhatre aka Madhu Bhau (Jitendra Joshi) and Arjun Mhatre aka Major Bhau (Tanuj Virwani) and her own son, Abhay Angre (Rithvik Dhanjani). They try to put up a united front in order to weather the storm that has arrived with the attack on their family.

The other four gangs tread water as they each deal with their internal issues while also keeping an eye at the status quo, looking for any opportunity to gain an advantage. Meanwhile, an outside player, Nevelle Dorabjee (Samir Soni) is pulling the strings with his own financial motivations.

All of these winding roads lead to a thrilling finale in the form of one final gameplan, to take out multiple targets simultaneously in order to crown a new king of the Cartel, at least momentarily.

Performances

‘Cartel’ is littered with brilliant performances all across the board. Tanuj Virwani does a wonderful job portraying the calm and collected ex-army man in the midst of the glut of gangsters, though his delivery can sometimes come off quite wooden.

Jitendra Joshi adds a humour element to the series and wonderfully captures the essence of a gung-ho gangster who tends to get caught up in the moment. Rithvik Dhanjani’s character arc is a joy to watch.

The other four gang leaders; Arunachalam, Barat, Bhatt and George have equally given solid performances. They portray a varied array of characters each with their own quirks and eccentricities.

The remaining members of the supporting cast such as Amey Wagh, Monica Dogra and Samir Soni all get their moments to shine and leave the audience craving for more by the end.

Positives

The storytelling in this series is an absolute delight, as the writers weave an intricate web of scenarios that mesh well with each other and also keeps the audience on their toes. Acting is of the highest quality with many of the actors providing star turns guaranteed to resonate with anyone watching.

The humanity on display in the midst of all the bloodshed and mind games elicits sympathy and affection for these cold-blooded killers. A sufficient amount of humour is also included to lighten the mood and it has the desirable effect without coming across as too try-hard.

The plot moves along at a steady pace making sure to keep the audience in the loop at all times. Watching the story unfold is quite compelling at its peak.

The dialogues are delivered with crispness and the right emotions, doing the well-written script justice. The background score by Bharatt-Saurabh adds to the drama and excitement as it ebbs and flows with each pivotal moment.

It is also fitting that this series draws inspiration from one of the greatest mafia movies of all time, ‘The Godfather’. The plot points are mirrored on several occasions while consistently maintaining an original Indian flair as to not seem too derivative.

Negatives

While there is very little to complain about, the series is not without its minor shortcomings. Several side characters who do not have a major impact on the storyline can be accused of turning in a dry performance despite being given ample screen time.

Certain scenes showcase a lack of production value that does not belong in a series of this stature, although it does not take away much from the overall experience.

It does involve considerable violence and explicit material that may not be to the liking of many viewers.

Worth it?

The all-around effort put in by the cast and crew on ‘Cartel’ is sure to grab the attention of its audience and is highly recommended for fans who are up for a thrilling ride.


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