Rating: 3/5
The Disney+ Hotstar thriller series ‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’ follows DCP Rudraveer Singh, who, while being one of the system’s best brains at work, is going under the radar.
Story
DCP Rudraveer Singh (Ajay Devgn) is chasing down a suspect who ends up in a hospital coma. He is restored in the force months later after an investigation into what transpired, but the time away has taken its toll on him.
Rudra’s fragile mind has begun to collapse after his humanitarian lawyer wife, Shaila Durani (Esha Deol), has left him for Rajiv Dattani (Satyadeep Misra). His coworkers are worried about his emotional well-being.
They continue to depend on him, especially his departmental boss, Deepali Handa (Ashwini Kalsekar), and coworkers Gautam Navlakha (Atul Kulkarni) and Prabal Thakur (Tarun Gahlot), who are amazed by his gut instincts.
Meanwhile, Rudra meets Aliyah Chokshi (Raashi Khanna), a bright and attractive lady whose parents and dog were murdered. Rudra deduces her as a psychopath when she follows him and tries to complicate matters between him and Shaila but he requests help afterwards.
In return for money, Gautam assists criminals. This time, they’re looking for diamonds. Gautam and Rudra both set out to track down the perpetrator. Gautam seizes the jewels and attempts suicide.
Performances
Devgn is excellent as Rudra. On the other hand, he is a little uneasy in sequences where he needs to convey his sadness vocally. He’s just too stoic for such a situation.
As Alia Chokshi, Raashii Khanna is vivacious. She is endearing and has a commanding presence. Despite the fact that her role is unlikeable, she portrays it with ease.
Esha Deol Takhtani, who plays Rudra’s wife Shaila, appears to be an outcast in the series, paired with Satyadeep Misra’s Rajiv. She has the weakest performance.
The majority of the cast members are in excellent form, with Devgn and Khanna stealing the show. As Rudra’s coworkers, Atul Kulkarni, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Tarun Gahlot are at the top of their game.
Satyadeep Mishra does an excellent job as Shaila’s slightly soft, unproblematic boyfriend, who is constantly threatened by Rudra’s machismo.
Positives
Rudra takes a cue from Luther in terms of direction. Sanjay K. Memane’s cinematography adds a melancholy undertone to the drama. Rudra, like Luther, is a slick remake that maintains the authenticity of the latter’s high pace. The editing by Antara Lahari is satisfactory.
The team develops the program brick by brick, starting with the sombre visual tone and theme song, Tera Inaam, by Ananya Birla. Despite their length, the episodes keep your interest.
The plot, writing and acting all achieve a pinnacle point in the final two episodes. What keeps the audience’s interest is the presence of talented performers and well-drawn characters, as well as the plot arc.
Negatives
In addition to the cases, the filmmakers attempt to pique our curiosity in Rudra’s personal life. But there’s have little to do with his relationship with Shaila. It feels forced, exactly like Aliyah and Rudra’s idea. It becomes tedious and irritating. Even the huge reveal at the conclusion fails to restore the plot’s excitement element. The climax is underwhelming.
In terms of production, it looks to be a west show. However, it does not always work in its favour. The series might come off as too non-Indian for an Indian audience at times. The filmmakers have avoided making any alterations to the original plot. Also, a few more cuts here and there would have decreased the show’s run-time, making it more suitable for binge-watching.
Verdict
‘Rudra – The Edge of Darkness’ is a worthwhile watch, but the length of the episodes makes binge-watching tough.
Also Read: Rudra: The Edge of Darkness summary and ending explained