1 month ago
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Is it a sci-fi? Is it a whodunit? No, it digs deeper. It exposes the frustrating flaws of the judicial system read more
 "This gripping web-series keeps you on the edge")
Cast: Raghav Juyal, Dhairya Karwa, Kritika Kamra, Harsh Chhaya
Director: Umesh Bist
Language: Hindi
Gyaarah Gyaarah that will stream on Zee5 from August 9 is an adaptation of the South Korean series Signal. It all begins in Dehradun and is mostly based there, and the mystical landscape does a fine job of adding noir and palpable tension to the locales and the narrative. At first, it brings back some fond (and some not so) memories of Arshad Warsi’s Asur and Abhishek Bachchan’s Breath: Into The Shadows. The occasion is Dussehra, the year is 2001, we then move to 2016, and then way back to the 1990s. There are multiple timelines and conflicts that are woven together.
In this sea of mayhem, director Umesh Bist (of Pagglait fame) gets an interesting bunch of actors. Raghav Juyal is fresh off the success of KILL, a barbaric and badass ode to violence. In that film, he was a fragile and vulnerable monster, here, he plays a motor-mouth officer whose visceral words are hard to hear. The man is a meticulous observer too. After all, he’s the eye witness to a case that’s about to be shut in three days and a case that’s been pending for 15 years. The transition from one timeline to another is depicted through a walkie talkie and some curious special effects. At first, the people around Juyal scoff at his enthusiasm to solve the case, his senior thinks it’s a cheap trick to attract fame and attention. But he truly means business.
All about digging deeper
But there’s a lot more than what we see in promos. Is it a sci-fi? Is it a whodunit? No, it digs deeper. It exposes the frustrating flaws of the judicial system that loomed large 15 years back too. It also puts the spotlight on the helplessness of upright officers that are forced to bow down to the supposed rules and laws. That brings us to the second thread of the story- Dhairya Karwa. His towering aura and solemn face are in sync with the gravitas of his character. It’s like he has to be swift and smart for Juyal’s character in the other timeline to solve the mystery. Time is running out in 2016, and it’s the man in 2001 that has to hurry up. The tables turn when we move to 1990. This time, it’s Jugal who guides Karva and keeps him on his toes. It’s all about going to the past and changing the future. And then there’s Kritika Kamra, someone who’s kind of swinging between timelines and stuck in both too. She has different personalities and issues in 2001 and 2016, and her face suggests curiosity and bruise. Not every performance lands though, particularly that of Harsh Chhaya, channeling his inner ‘Papaji’ from Undekhi, where every dialogue is followed by an expletive and vein-popping rage. And after a point, the characters have made the timelines a lot more streamlined so popping up the year after every back-and-forth feels like a spoon-feeding attempt.
Take your pick
Unlike the other adaptations that don’t even bother to change the name of the original, this show turns the plot and attempts to make it its own. There’s a key significance of the moniker that says 11:11. The hunt and confusion begin the moment the clock ticks the time. This police procedural is surely a leap of faith, of course this can never happen in real. But since it’s about justice and redemption, anything goes and we go on with the story. Gyaarah Gyaarah is a commendable effort by the team of KILL to amalgamate multiple genres into one series and make time for each of it. For those who are suckers for the world of fantasy, it ticks the box, for people craving for solid whodunnits, it stands in queue, and for those who admire commentaries and exposes on the people in power, this name pops up its head here too. Take your pick now!
Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)
Gyaarah Gyaarah will stream on Zee5 from August 9
Working as an Entertainment journalist for over five years, covering stories, reporting, and interviewing various film personalities of the film industry see more
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English (US) ·