PremiumKhakee: The Bengal Chapter Review - Gunday meets a darker but middling twist in Neeraj Pandey’s world
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter Review - Neeraj Pandey when off the espionage bus, is a creator who finds comfort in exploring the explored themes but adds his novelty to it; but could he here?
Last Updated: 01.04 PM, Mar 20, 2025
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter Story: In early 2000s Bagha, aka Shankar (Saswata Chatterjee), is a local goon who rises to become a mob boss in Kolkata. Sagor (Ritwik Bhowmik) and Ranjit (Adil Khan) are his most trusted men, helping to expand the cartel. However, when the MLA (Prosenjit Chatterjee) dreams of becoming the CM, he realizes that controlling the syndicate is crucial to his ambition. As politics and power struggles unfold within the cartel, Sagor and Ranjit set out on their journey to rule the Kolkata underworld. Little do they know that the vicious world of deceit and politics will test their bond—and that the police, led by IPS Arjun Maitra (Jeet), will not make their path easy.
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter Review
The Neeraj Pandey brand of content follows a unique formula—it takes the usual and adds a fresh twist, something distinctive to the filmmaker. His fascination with espionage sagas has hooked audiences for the better part of the last decade. Some of his projects landed well, while others didn’t, but he certainly elevated the genre in Indian cinema. However, in his recent outings, Pandey has visibly tried to step away from espionage and redefine himself with different stories. Khakee: The Bihar Chapter was one such attempt, and now he brings its follow-up, The Bengal Chapter. But does he succeed this time? Satya To Tumbbad - Cinema that dares to be different; Here's where you can watch them on OTT
It’s no secret that streaming content in India today often feels repetitive—as if someone bought a cookie cutter and is shaping everything in the same mould. Violence is the flavor of the season, and almost every commercial filmmaker is weaving bloodshed, alpha males, and submissive women into their narratives. Thankfully, Neeraj Pandey’s latest offering on Netflix sidesteps the last trope—and for that, we can breathe a sigh of relief. Khakee: The Bengal Chapter works best when it challenges the formula, proving that Pandey is still the filmmaker who gave us Special 26.
Written and created by Neeraj Pandey, with Samrat Chakraborty (assistant director on Jagga Jasoos and Ludo) and Debatma Mandal on the writing team, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter attempts to showcase a side of Kolkata rarely explored on screen. Even the title track invites us into this never-seen-before side of the City of Joy—which is also a City of Bhoy (fear). It’s always fascinating to see filmmakers remove the romanticized façade of a city and dig into its raw, gritty core. Think about how Sudip Sharma and Abhishek Chaubey changed our perception of Punjab with Udta Punjab, revealing the harsh realities beneath its picturesque mustard fields.
Now, as Neeraj Pandey attempts a similar feat, he leans on his signature formula—taking the familiar and making it unique. His story carries echoes of many narratives we've seen before: corrupt politicians, gangsters serving their interests, and a righteous counterforce. And yet, just when you think it’s all been done before, Pandey and his team introduce twists that are gripping enough to hold your attention. The Bengal Chapter excels in delivering dramatic, unexpected turns at key moments, ensuring that viewers stay engaged. But is that enough?
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter has the makings of a darker, more intense version of Gunday (2014). While the brotherhood-turned-blood feud is engaging, the series falls short of becoming a complete success. The first two episodes, for instance, are a relentless series of killings—yet, they lack the emotional pulse needed to make them compelling. The show takes a long time setting up the rise-to-power arc for its crime boss, his subordinates, and the forces controlling their world. And because we’ve seen this kind of buildup so many times, it’s easy to predict who will die and what will trigger the key conflicts.
Another issue? Episode lengths. Each installment runs for about 45 minutes, with the pilot stretching over an hour. If you’re asking the audience to sit through such long episodes, the content must be fresh—not something we’ve consumed multiple times before.
This also exposes the structural weaknesses of the series. For example, the show unfolds as a flashback from an ongoing interrogation—but as the narrative progresses, this framing device loses relevance. Similarly, several aspects of the story remain underdeveloped. Take Chitrangda Singh’s character—she has a strong arc on paper, but the show never allows her to fully bloom. There’s also a tragic romance left unexplored until the very end, only to deliver minimal impact.
Prosenjit Chatterjee, who plays a kingpin-like character, feels more like an idea than a fully realized person, making only occasional appearances. Meanwhile, Jeet has a brilliant screen presence, but he is largely defined by those around him rather than by his own actions.
On the brighter side, Ritwik Bhowmik’s transformation from Bandish Bandits to Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is phenomenal. He fully embraces the intensity of Sagor da, delivering a powerful performance. However, the true standout performer here is Aadil Khan, who emerges as the series’ biggest surprise package. His portrayal brings layers of complexity to the narrative, making him one of the most memorable aspects of the show.
One long-standing issue in commercial Indian storytelling is the use of women’s suffering—especially sexual violence—as a trigger for male action. It’s time we move beyond this trope. Two men don’t always need a woman’s tragedy to fuel their rivalry; there are countless other motivations and conflicts that can drive their actions. Thankfully, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter does provide consequences for every action, which at least redeems this flaw to some extent. But it’s time for filmmakers to retire this outdated narrative device.
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter – Final Verdict
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is Neeraj Pandey’s attempt to reveal a hidden side of Kolkata. While the drama is engaging, the series sometimes feels repetitive, as it follows a formula that’s already been heavily used in Indian streaming content. The overdose of the crime genre on streaming platforms weakens what could have been a truly standout Netflix outing.
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter releases on March 20, 2025. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more reviews and updates from the world of streaming and films.