Raakh: Grisly Anatomy of a brutal Crime.

Raakh web series review

Fashioned as a frenetic cat-and-mouse game between the police and Babu-Rajjo, ‘Raakh’ is relentlessly violent and visceral in locating the germ of crime but finds solace in some supremely sublime sequences that involves JP and his Mutton-waale-Bauji, played by the infinitely talented Rakesh Bedi.

Prosit has an astute grasp on the crime-thriller genre but in ‘Raakh’, he pushes the envelope further while blending it seamlessly with the emotional gravitas associated with the trauma and pathos. Soumyanand Sahi’s lenses recreate and captures the bygone period vividly.

Each of his characters has a purpose, organically connected to the plot and makes an impact regardless of the screen time. ‘Raakh’ is a triumphant case of an exemplary collaboration between all its departments – a consistently haunting background score by Ajay Jayanthi and Parth Pandya, excellent sound design by Anish John, clockwork precision by editor Manas Mittal and tightly compartmentalized writing by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket.

In a poignant scene, Fazal reminisces about the Delhi of 60s and the abundance of fauna to his journalist girlfriend, Seher Nisar (played by Anshul Chauhan, Animal fame) citing the city’s safety during those days and drawing a contrast to its present. While Fazal is wonderfully understated as the conflicted cop, the series derives its brutal brilliance from the menacingly creepy Akash Mahija as Babu and his timid partner, Ramandeep Yadav as Rajjo.

‘Raakh’ shakes you from within. The last episode leaves you rattled. It’s a devastating portrait of a tragedy that shatters a family beyond bereavement while the city shudders in shock, predicament of a cop navigating in the complex system of law, bureaucracy and governance and the moral decay of society’s fabric conveyed by the perpetrators.

And it is certainly not for the faint-hearted. I go with 4.5 stars.

‘Raakh’ is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.