Name: Shehar Lakhot
Director: Navdeep Singh
Released: 2023-11-30T00:00:00

Shehar Lakhot is centered around a marble mining town and Dev Tomar, who returns home after 10 years to get embroiled in a major conspiracy. The series is streaming on Prime Video.

Story

Dev Tomar left his hometown of Lakhot 10 years ago after some trouble, but he was sent there on an assignment despite his requests. He returns and finds that the opinion of the people he left behind hasn’t changed much, but many other things have.

There is a power struggle for control of Lakhot, and corruption is rampant in the town, and Dev gets caught right in the middle of it. When his brother turns up dead, Dev tries to find out more about what his brother was involved in and discovers a huge criminal enterprise.

In a town filled with nothing but evil and malice, Dev turns out to be one of the few decent human beings, and that helps him emerge from the chaos.

Performances

Priyanshu Painyuli is delightful as the Dev the protagonist. His well-meaning moral compass makes him easy to root for and Painyuli’s performance adds weight to the reliability of the character.

Chandan Roy Sanyal is brilliant and entertaining as one of the several villains in this series. His delivery is slick and the vibe surrounding him is immaculate. Manu Rishi Chadha is similarly magnificent as Rajbir because he balances humor and evil perfectly.

Kubbra Sait plays her character well, especially when she is surrounded by several antagonistic people. Sait shines as one of the few bright lights in the darkness. Shruthy Menon fools everyone with her good nature, as she turns out to be despicable herself in many ways.

The series is filled with great characters and the cast puts in a great shift to make this a fun one.

Positives

The narrative captivates with its exhilarating plot and skillful writing, as the director adeptly harmonizes various elements, delivering a truly absorbing series.

The script is also stellar, with some wonderful dialogues and hilarious jokes weaved in. This is all made better by the performances, and they work hand in hand to fabulous results.

Some of the locations are beautiful, with the extensive marble architecture of Kairav’s residence and hotel shining spectacularly.

Negatives

The pacing is a bit slow and the narrative can be a bit overstuffed at times. The intertwining threads of the narrative are just about balanced, but there are some drawbacks.

The representation of homosexuality is weak and almost exists as a plot device rather than just part of a character’s identity. Vikas’ homosexuality exists for it to be exploited, and Pallavi’s acts as a mark of shame, which are disappointing story decisions.

Verdict

Shehar Lakhot is a fun thriller series that suffers a bit because of the tedious run times of each episode. However, the unpredictable narrative and exceptional character work are what make the series a strong enough piece of media that can be enjoyed by audiences over time.