Kaalkoot Web Series Review - Jiocinema
Introduction
In this era of OTT, a crime-oriented web series looks incomplete if it's not set up in northern India, especially UP or Bihar, and if there is a flavour of suspense, it only adds to the viewing value. You can find numerous series on multiple OTTs, and Kaalkoot is the latest addition, just that it's on JioCinema. It started on a good note but somehow is slowly making it up with interesting content and trying to catch up to the likes of Amazon Prime, Netflix, SonyLIV, or Zee5, the prime OTTs. So, it's to be seen whether JioCinema has hit the sweet spot this time or if it's yet another average series. Read on.
About the Web Series
Kaalkoot (means Poison) is set in a small town in UP and starts with a horrifying Acid Attack on a young girl. Cut to the next scene, Ravi Shankar Tripathi, a sub-inspector in the town of Thana Sarsi. Ravi is the son of the famous rebel poet Mani Shankar Tripathi, who is no more but continues to inspire his son and with a guilt that Ravi couldn't or didn't speak to his father one last time, which he could have. Ravi didn't want to be a cop, and due to the ways of working at the police station, he decides to leave the job and hand over his resignation to his Senior inspector. But he is stopped by his subordinate (Yashpal Sharma) who asks Ravi to continue his job and assures him of talking to the senior when the right time comes.
Ravi Shankar Tripathi is a soft person, often humiliated by his senior officer in the blink of an eye, making him an object of jokes. On the other hand, he is constantly nagged at home by his mother for him to get married. Ravi, being a shy person, tries to manage at all ends when he is put on this acid attack case. He starts slowly and steadily while managing things at all ends. Will Ravi be able to solve this case and be respected by his seniors and colleagues? Who is the victim, and how is Ravi attached to her? Who is behind this attack? To know all this, you will need to watch the series.
Direction and Screenplay
I will give full credit to director Sumit Saxena, who is also a co-writer of the series along with Anurabh Kumar. The 8 episodes of approx 30-35 mins each are completely gripping and worth your time, thanks to the impeccable execution and excellent screenplay. Sumit manages to keep you hooked throughout, slowly peeling the layers with each episode, but full credit for keeping very minor details intact in that UP setup or lingo. There is one scene where Ravi and his subordinate visit the hospital to inquire about the case from the victim's parents. Being a govt hospital, they don't find a dedicated place, and the inquiry takes place in a morgue room with a sweeping cleaning up the floor the entire time. There are many scenes where there is too much chaos, especially between Ravi and his mother's conversations, while too much is happening in the background to make the chaotic atmosphere come out and look too realistic. Such are the minute details that make it efficient writing and an equally efficient watch.
Performances
Vijay Varma as Ravi Shankar Tripathi is simply unstoppable and outshines himself (and everyone else, for that matter) here with every single role, I must say. Darlings, Dahaad, Lust Stories 2 (as an actor, he was stupendous though the story was a dud), and now Kaalkoot, he is at so much ease, and you will realize his transformation from a soft-spoken, shy cop bullied by his seniors to a tough cop where seniors at the job and also at the personal level, people around him start praising him. What an actor he is turning out to be, and I can easily put him in the leagues of Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpayee. Watch it to believe it.
Yashpal Sharma as Ravi’s colleague and subordinate is no fresher at acting, and he just sleepwalks in this role. The way he puts subtle humour with his punches makes this series alive despite being dark and slightly on the slower side. He is a character who always works in a “Yes Boss” mode, saying yes to the one whom he is with. We know his calibre, and here also he carries the legacy forward. His chemistry with Vijay Varma is stupendous, and the two's conversation often brings a smile to your face. More power to you, Yashpal Sir.
Gopal Dutt as Ravi’s bullying officer is a revelation, and he manages to do exactly the opposite of what he is known for. Otherwise doing comedies mostly, his tough shrewd cop act is something to watch out for. He surprises with his act and just like Yashpal Sharma, he adds flavour to this role with sarcastic and subtle humour.
Seema Biswas is a veteran, and she is adorable and simply sleepwalks through her role as a widowed mother who is after his son for him to get married and goes on to the extent of guiding her future daughter-in-law for her to come closer to her son. How easily she emotes through her eyes at times without even speaking speaks volumes of her as an actor.
Shweta Tripathi Sharma is an excellent actor as we all know, and here again, she tries something different and is in top form. Though the series revolves around her, she gets limited screen time, and whatever she got, she makes full use of the opportunity and is damn impressive.
Suzanna Mukherjee looks pretty impressive in a small but interesting role. Her chemistry with Vijay Varma is cute.
Music
A special mention for the music. This is one of the series that has a song in almost every episode. The music is an interesting take on a series of events happening or characters being portrayed. There is also a subtle use of poetry in between; some make sense, some don't, but it's too deep, in the legendary voice of Tigmanshu Dhulia.
Overall Verdict
Kaalkoot is not only intriguing, impressive, and interesting but an important series as well. It touches base on certain important topics like Acid attacks, how they affect the life of the victim and their families, female foeticide, and how a ‘Man’ is expected to be in our society, especially when he is a cop. Any flaws? Yes. The writing fumbled slightly in the last finale episode; otherwise, it would have been a much greater series than what it is now. But still, that doesn’t take away credit from what the series achieves overall with a gripping and brilliant screenplay and plot to touch upon important subjects with some grandeur performances by mostly all the leads.
WMR Rating: 4/5
Review Credits: Deepak Chaudhary
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