Khakee: The Bihar Chapter review: Karan Tacker-Avinash Tiwary's heart-wrenching tale of crime and corruption is a must watch

3.5/5

Story:

Khakee: The Bihar Chapter follows the tale of a daily wage worker named Chandan Mahto, who turns into one of the most lethal criminals in Bihar. The dreaded gang lord gets to face one of the fiercest Indian Police Service officers named Amit Lodha, who gets to nab the goon to curb crime in the state.

Review:

Based on the best-selling book Bihar Diaries: The True Story of How Bihar's Most Dangerous Criminal Was Caught by Amit Lodha, this is the real-life story of an upright officer who deals with multiple ups and downs during his tenure in Bihar when he decides to nab a heinous and uncapturable criminal.

The show begins with Karan Tacker's Amit Lodha, who gets his first posting in a small town in Bihar, which is known for its crime. Avinash Tiwary's Chandan Mahto enters the montage as a low-life criminal who used to transport alcohol, do small kidnappings, and more.

However, he witnesses the super cop of Bihar during a mass encounter incident, where he luckily saves himself.

The real-life story adapted from the book has been written quite carefully and not only from the perspective of the protagonist but also the villain of the show, which doesn't make it a one-sided story and is interesting at the same time.

Khakee: The Bihar Chapter is packed with fantastic performances by the pivotal actors as well as the supporting cast.

Tiwary has nailed his accent as well as the body language of an uneducated criminal from Bihar. From his looks to his actions, the actor seems to have been born for the role.

The criminal in Chandan comes alive due to the caste system and what comes with it: the ill-treatment and torture meted out by the upper caste people to him and his kind.

On the other hand, Tacker is the one who wins the heart. His seriousness, discipline, and firm nature as an IPS officer make you believe him to be a real cop and not an actor playing some role.

One of the most righteous perspectives of the show displays how crime and corruption go hand in hand. Amit Lodha gets multiple transfers as well as getting shunned for being the most honest officer of all.

Khakee also explores how nabbing one criminal from a small town in Bihar took over five years, even when in his earlier years he used to be under police observation all the time.

One of the scenes showcases the hierarchal pressure that gets followed among the public servants when, after a political party's win, the police officers get ordered to abort their mission of arresting Chandan because the lethal criminal used to be a close friend to a renowned leader.

The atrocities of the series include multiple massacres that take place, which see multiple killings of innocent people. It surely gives you chills and scares you even more when you realise that it's all true and has happened in a small part of the country.

Meanwhile, Ashutosh Rana's character as a corrupt police officer showcases the mirror reality of how the system works when he gets promoted to a higher post in the state capital of Bihar just by befriending and bootlicking big leaders.

Actors like Amit Soni, Abhimanyu Singh, Jatin Sarna, and Aishwarya Sushmita give different flavours to the story with their characters and keep the show moving.

The screenplay is just how it should be, as Khakee: The Bihar Chapter is not over-packed with cuss words and unnecessary nudity but has a perfect balance of crime, corruption, and drama that can be watched with family and friends, which is quite rare on OTT. However, it's still not suitable for children due to the intense nature and uncensored violence of the show.

Verdict:

Neeraj Pandey has successfully created a visual treat of an extraordinary real-life story packed with crime, corruption, and casteism. The latest Netflix series is a must-watch.