Making several characters and intertwining their lives around a single occurrence or topic that serves as the pivot for the tale to swing back and forth is the easiest thing to accomplish when writing a multi-episode drama thriller. However, it is very simple to fall into the pitfall of not fully closing the loops when doing that.
Jio Cinema’s latest cop drama thriller, Kaalkoot has all those typical elements one would find in this genre, yet the writers along with director Sumit Saxena do a decent job to close the loops in this thought-provoking crime series.
The eight-episode web series is set against the backdrop of a small town Sarsi, the story revolves around a horrifying acid attack case. Senior officer (Gopal Datt) puts sub-inspector Ravi Shankar Tripathi (Vijay Varma) in charge of the case who is otherwise low on self-esteem and wants to resign from the job, only months after joining it.
Ravi’s perspective changes when he discovers that the victim of the brutal attack, Parul (Shweta Tripathi Sharma), is the same girl his mother (Seema Biswas) wanted him to marry. Driven by a newfound purpose, he takes it upon himself to investigate the crime and find the person responsible. Along the way, Ravi opens a pandora’s box which confronts gender biases, toxic masculinity, and societal expectations that hinder his pursuit of justice.
The makers tend to spend so much time setting the context, having so many subplots and characters, some counter-productive to the story and even the big reveal is something that most people would be able to guess by the fifth episode. The show keeps the twists in the plot going, and then carries on for a lot longer than it needs to, even in the interest of authenticity. While the run-time isn’t long, it still hurts considering the show’s plot seems like it could have possibly been said in a feature film format without losing its essence. And because the screenplay is spread so thinly across the episodes, it tends to become weak and tiring.
Thankfully, the story is driven by some solid performances. It is a welcome change to see Varma depart from playing dark or grey characters. He is the star of the show and with Kaalkoot he also proves his versatility as an actor. His character is soft-spoken, frail, and weak, defying the clichés that are associated with male and female on-screen cops who are portrayed as unyielding, strong, and stubborn. However, he isn’t scared to challenge the status quo and stand up for what is right. His compassion for the victims of society who are shunned by the system is evident in various situations.
Shweta Tripathi Sharma delivers an earnest performance as the acid attack victim. With limited screen time, she does most of the talking merely through her eyes and is convincing as a young girl whose beliefs have been shattered and her right to life violated. She breaks down at times but continues to hold on to seek justice.
Among the rest of the cast, it is good to see Yashpal Sharma back on the screens after a long hiatus. He ably supports Varma. Seema Biswas and Gopal Dutt and Suzanna Mukherjee, too, make noteworthy contributions on the acting front.
Overall, Kaalkoot’s premise isn’t something that hasn’t been explored earlier. Yet, even with its flaws, the show scores high on nuanced performances and a few thrilling moments.
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