Worked once upon a time, not now

Nonika Singh

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AS more and more series are plunging into the dark amoral world, one doesn’t really know what to make of them. Or what they are trying to convey. Judge ye not, is their mantra and for a while, we, too, should reserve our judgment, at least of its characters who hate their fathers, indulge in abominable acts and/or kill to survive.

Yet another book adaptation (author Arnab Ray), ‘Sultan of Delhi’, coming from the makers of ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai’, takes us to Delhi. Sure, once again it is once upon a time, the Delhi of 1960s where a Partition survivor is trying to find his moorings in the world of crime. No doubt, the dark underbelly of crime can make for a fascinating study in the hands of capable makers. When two directors come from different sensibilities, you can expect an interesting alchemy. Milan Luthria, creator and co-director, brings his trademark commercial razzmatazz. Suparn Verma of ‘The Family Man’ fame, writer and director of ‘Sultan of Delhi’, one hopes, will lend restraint.

Alas, if you are expecting subtlety or layering, simply forget it. The Partition scenes are not just brutal but overdone to the point of such exaggeration that the traumatic events leave you simply cold. The series settles down soon as it sheds the Partition baggage and moves to 1960s. The very first episode establishes who the new Sultan would be and then goes back to depict how Arjun Bhatia (Tahir Raj Bhasin) got there. Once his mentor, Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak) makes an entry, proceedings liven up to some extent. Trust talented actor Pathak to hold fort even when the script is not kind to him. As he switches between an amiable criminal who rewards his minions with grand acts of generosity to the ruthless manipulator, alongside playing riddle games with them, he sure is some fun to watch. Not the same for female actors, who get a short shrift and are only in service of the male characters. Mehreen Pirzada’s presence remains cosmetic. Anupriya Goenka, cast in the yesteryear ‘smoking and drinking’ moll mode cum ambitious lady boss, tries hard to sizzle and acquire the hiss her character demands. But her Shankari is reduced to the clichéd vamp. Among other ladies of the cast, Mouni Roy looks lovely and is a sexy siren in the dance number at a bar, but gets to do little. The unexpected climax has left a door wide open for her character to develop further, but we don’t have great hopes.

Tahir Raj Bhasin is very much capable of headlining a series. With his wicked turn in ‘Mardaani’, he did prove that he can play meanness to chilling effect. But here the directors really don’t know what to do with him; whether to epitomise his dimpled charm or bring out the devil. Either way, it’s a wasted opportunity. His clash with rich braggart Rajendra (Nishant Dahiya), too, lacks frisson.

The biggest letdown is the script, riddled with many incongruities. Why does Arjun go back to save his friend Bangali (a spirited Anjum Sharma) when the incriminating evidence, the stolen diamonds are with him and not the friend he is trying to save? Sure the Jai-Veeru kind of friendship between Arjun and Bangali is touching. Only, here, the phrase ‘till death do us part’ acquires another meaning. Predictability is not the series’ undoing. The credit for that goes to the lack of nuance, perfunctory love tracks and bizarre twists generated just for shock value. Little seems organic in this otherwise well-paced drama. Swallow this: Arjun does a full Monty (blurred for viewers) to impress upon his adversaries how he’s come without weapons and clothes.

Secrets are exchanged loud and clear, well within the hearing distance of all and sundry. Who is betraying whom is not a treacherous web but an open-and-shut secret. Mercifully, the series stays clear of abusive language, but certain scenes have been unnecessarily sexed up. Check out only if you think watching crime pays thrilling dividends. The nine-part series streams on Disney+Hotstar.