Karm Yuddh review: Paoli Dam and Pranay Pachauri shine in Ravi Adhikari's outstanding revenge drama

3.5/5

Story:

The tale focuses on a major feud over a succession crisis within a wealthy family from Kolkata.

Review:

Once in a while, an engaging and intriguing thriller drama arrives on the screen and impresses the audience. Karm Yuddh is one such show in recent memory. As expected, the Ravi Adhikari-directed series is packed with intense drama, revenge, bloodshed (but less), suspense, love and romance.

Karm Yuddh begins by building up the story as a family revenge drama, where Vardhaan Roy's (Rajesh Khattar) second wife, Indrani Roy (Paoli Dam), is leaving no stone unturned to become the chairman of the Roy Group of Industries, which was allotted to her husband, who is suffering from a paralysed body after a huge accident. On the other hand, the big brother, Bhisham Roy (Satish Kaushik), is using his power to get to that chair by hook or crook.

An important aspect of the story is that Samar Shastri (Pranay Pachauri) is another important character, who lands in Indrani's life just to take his and his father, Guru Shastri's (Ashutosh Rana) revenge via her dearest stepson, Abhimanyu Roy (Ankit Bisht), for the murder of his brother Raghuveer Shastri (Nitin Mirani).

After the family feud and vengeance, the series offers cute college love and romance. Hunar, played by Madhurima Roy, used to hate Abhimanyu due to his misbehaving at a party. However, due to his constant apology and sincere confession about his feelings, she not only forgives him but also falls for him.

The story has been crafted well in terms of the chronology and is also packed with suspense that lets you enjoy and get intrigued at the same time. As Karm Yuddh is about an affluent Bengali family from Kolkata, the locations used in the show have old-world charms, like the city of Kolkata, that make them visually appealing.

The show also raises concerns about journalistic ethics and showcases how power can be a curse if it falls into the wrong hands.

However, the story distracts and doesn't let me digest a few aspects, which feel like they have been kept forcefully. The Naxal angle, which appears to be an unnecessary approach by the makers to make it even more intense and suspenseful, This angle surely makes the show longer, which feels like a stretch after a while. However, the impressive performances of most of the actors balance out the show.

Paoli Dam's chameleon Indrani doesn't let the suspense sit for a minute as she keeps planning multiple things and keeps revolving men on her fingers throughout the show. The ace actor nails the act of the powerful protagonist, which is needed in a serious show. Although, in some places, the delivery style might remind you of her Binodini from the Netflix film, Bulbbul.

Apart from acting, Paoli also wins the heart as a Bengali folk singer, which she has already established in Anvita Dutt's 2021 horror drama.

Pranay Pachauri is a surprising package, who is emerging as a fantastic actor by utilising his massive screen time to engage the audience in the show.

Apart from the two great performers, the show has multiple actors who have invested their time and effort and have utilised their craft accurately. Ankit Bisht, of Dhadak fame, is one such actor. He makes you fall in love with his college-boy charm as the story progresses.

Tara-Alisha Berry and Chandan Roy Sanyal ace their characters as ideal and non-ideal journalists and display how the power of journalism can be used in a good and bad way simultaneously.

Senior actors like Ashutosh Rana and Satish Kaushik give their best as potential and experienced performers. However, they bring nothing new to the table.

The story's major cliffhanger, provided by writers Rehman Khan and Sarim Momin and the director himself, deserves applause and certainly makes us all eager for the next instalment.

Verdict:

With a great storyline packed with intense drama, revenge, suspense, love and romance, and multiple outstanding performances, Karm Yuddh ought to be watched.

Stream the thriller series on Disney+ Hotstar.