Khakee: The Bihar Chapter Review

Introduction

The book "Bihar Diaries: The Untold Story of How Bihar's Most Dangerous Criminal Got Caught" by Amit Lodha inspired the plot. The first episode of the series explores the close relationship between crime and politics in the Indian state of Bihar. Then Karan Tacker's portrayal of IPS officer Amit Lodha is introduced.

Amit Lodha gradually advances in his profession. During the same duration, Chandan Mahto (Avinash Tiwary), who began as a nobody doing menial tasks, develops into a potent criminal who poses a serious threat to society. The remainder of the narrative describes how the police apprehended Chandan Mahto.

Positive Points

The concept that is employed in the series is excellent and does a good job of introducing us to the Bihari culture. The artists accurately captured the slang spoken in Bihar between 2000 and 2006 in their production design. One is intrigued by the opening scene because it shows how state politicians used to help criminals. Near the conclusion, the show starts to get fascinating, and the final episode has good depth. It discusses the faults in the legal system and how offenders escape punishment for their crimes. It is interesting how the protagonist and adversary play a little game of wits using the technology of the time.

Chandhan Mahto, the person who shook every part of the state of Bihar, is played by Avinash Tiwary and he is magnificent in his role. The actor embodied the part and performed the show credit. His appearance, manner of speaking, and body language were the most appropriate. The character of IPS, who has a more significant role as the show goes on, was played well by Karan Tacker. All the supporting actors, including Abhimanyu Singh, Ravi Kishan, and others, did an excellent job.

Negative Points

Expectations were high for the show because it was affiliated with a filmmaker like Neeraj Pandey, but it fell short of those expectations. The show is primarily monotonous and flat, yet it has several exciting moments here and there. With few surprises, the show becomes wholly predictable. Although the series is based on the book, the creators should have incorporated more intriguing components to increase interest and reduce repetitive tendencies.

The police investigative perspective could be more original, which heightens the monotony. The cops approach the culprit so closely but cannot apprehend him, making the situation look absurd. Another element that detracts from the presentation is its length. A program of this nature requires gripping and brisk narration, but regrettably, the writers continue to use the formulaic screenplay. Also since the series has employed poor VFX, the action episodes do not look convincing.

Review

The writers, Uma Shankar Singh and Neeraj Pandey modified the names of historical persons and employed some theatrical license to fill in the blanks. In this way, they have given a true story that arises from the confluence of caste and crime?the two pillars that characterize Bihar politics?a bit more depth. The first few episodes of the seven-part series give us a feel of the rhythmic structure of the state where abuse of power is common but where kids nevertheless have self-respect and aspiration despite their plight and lack of progress. Karan appears in the initial part and scarcely changes as the series goes on. What makers should have paid more attention to, is that an officer has a personality beyond a crew cut. Even when required to think like a criminal, he hardly ever exhibits character faults or moral difficulty. It appears that the subject's image restricted Karan, and he could not wholly exercise his acting chops.

Avinash is slightly more appealing, but he also starts to come off stiff after a while since he keeps underplaying Chandan even as his stock price increases. Although he is a capable actor, the writers do not give him time to consider killing members of his caste, and some of his acts beg for inspiration. As Chandan's upper caste guru, Ravi Kishan perfectly captures the regional accent and lilt of the role. 'Khakee' pulses with intensity and a sense of terror whenever Ravi Kishan is seen on screen. As a supporting actor in the show, Jatin Sarna plays the role of Chywanprash well and once more lends muscle to the action. Abhimanyu Singh also makes an impression in a character that goes against his usual type. Rana, though, is the star of the show.

As the series goes on, it becomes clear that the writers could not extend the use of their imagination in an officer's diary. A writer cannot afford to view the world like a police officer does because they are required to see everything in black and white. After a few episodes, the show's struggle and the original writer's self-awareness are revealed, preventing it from being a must-watch.

Conclusion

Despite its problems and lack of imagination on the writer's part, the show is still an interesting watch considering the praise-worthy acting as well the commendable portrayal of Bihar back in the day. Even though after a while the show might seem restricted to a basic plot, to someone who likes a crime-thriller and enjoys a good culture-representing series, 'Khakee' might seem like a good watch.