Murshid review: Kay Kay Menon is the star who holds the series together effortlessly

3/5

Murshid Story:

After passing on his gangster baton to Farid, Murshid Pathaan has come at crossroads because he is forced to come back to power. Despite trying to wash away his sins, Murshid has no option but to get in the murk once again, since Farid has challenge to kill his youngest and only remaining child, a son.

Murshid Review:

"Sher jab bheegi billi bane tab maar dena chahiye, warna sher bankar waapis aata hai." This dialogue from Murshid is enough to describe what Kay Kay Menon’s character Murshid Pathaan is. Retired from being a gangster, he is now pushed to roar and take back the power he passed down.

Set in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1993, Murshid introduces Kay Kay Menon as Murshid Pathaan in a mildly heroic manner. As expected from him, he shows power almost instantly upon his entry.

The show, however, takes some time to develop. Nonetheless, it has the perfect setting of Bombay in 1993. Gang wars and factories backing them are evidently established in the first episode itself.

When somebody does minimal work but manages to surprise you, then you know that person is a good actor. Kay Kay Menon in and as Murshid is exactly that. He leaves a mark with even minimal screen presence at times.

Zakir Hussain, as Farid, who is handling Murshid's legacy, comes in at a pivotal moment. He marks the beginning of what is to be a full-fledged war. "Khakhee ke aage aur khakhee ke peeche kabhi nahi jaana chahiye," is one dialogue you will remember when it comes to his character as you complete the series.

Murshid vs. Farid tries to get interesting but takes too much time to develop. The pace is what almost kills what could have been a great show otherwise.

Anang Desai's Babu Rao and Rajesh Shringarpure's Jayendra Rao are introduced at once. Rajesh is an idol of confidence, and that's impressive. Anang is once again the father figure, so there's nothing new when it comes to him. Karamveer Choudhary as politician Namdev Kulkarni too has a minimal role, which can be easily forgotten.

Tanuj Virwani as inspector Kumar Pratap Rana creates suspense with his entry. His story is explored in the third episode. Vedika Bhandari, as his wife Sunita, is explored in the very episode. Both Tanuj and Sunita have the same tone on the show, till Tanuj's bar scene comes on screen.

The series often suffers from low-lighting. This makes it difficult to follow the show. More so, with new characters introduced in every episode with no proper background, it gets difficult to follow the show to the end. There's an inconsistency in location as well as background music. While planning to go to Mumbai, the scene shows Worli sea-face in the background. It is tough to ignore these factors but if you do, the show is more or less bearable, mainly because of what Kay Kay Menon brings to the table. Unfortunately, he’s not on screen throughout the show.

The background transition, as Murshid says, "Andhera hone ka intezaar kar raha hoon," and crackers burst, is iconic. This is because it comes when Murshid is awaiting his certain death, probably with gunshots.

However, there's a twist towards the end. It is something you probably did not see coming. Although the scene is powerful, it comes at the very end. Thus, it is a little too late to build intrigue. Nonetheless, that one scene works in the favour of the show. The series ends with a heartwarming moment, followed by what power actually is.

Murshid Final Verdict:

Murshid is a slow-paced show which tests your patience in many moments. It is Kay Kay Menon who is effortlessly cool whether as a gangster or a father. Zakir Hussain comes a close second, and Tanuj Virwani follows suit. So, if good acting is what you’re looking for, and you’re a Kay Kay Menon fan (which most of us are), then you should not miss out on this one, since the actor gives you the most with minimal work.

Murshid is available for streaming on Zee5 and OTTplay Premium. All the seven episodes are out for viewing.