AJAY DEVGN MAKES AN IMPRESSIVE DIGITAL DEBUT IN RUDRA: THE EDGE OF DARKNESS SEASON 1 REVIEW
STORY:
Set in the Mumbai Police Department's Special Crimes Unit, the show is a procedural psychological crime thriller centred on DCP Rudraveer Singh, who is working under the radar despite having one of the best minds in the department.
REVIEW:
There is no formula for determining what it takes to make a compelling adaptation of a successful show from another country. Rudra: The Edge of Darkness, an official adaptation of BBC's Luther, adhered to a single rule: keep it short and straightforward.
Idris Alba starred in the original, which was written and directed by Neil Cross. The writing section is led by Ishaan Trivedi, Abbas, and Hussain Dalal. The creators have clearly copied the fundamental plotlines from the original episodes and Indianized the proceedings - straightforward and easy to follow - as evidenced by the three episodes made available for preview.
From the first frame, director Rajesh Mapuskar and his team plunge deep into the storey. After seven months on the bench, DCP Rudraveer Singh (Ajay Devgn) gets reinstated in service. His suspension has been lifted for the time being.
Rudra,
as he is known in most parts of the show, is a member of the Special Crimes Unit, which is led by Deepali Handa (Ashwini Kalsekar). Rudra, as he is known in most parts of the show, is one of the most skilled hands in the department.
Even though each episode has its own tale centred on an exceptionally brilliant and psychologically charged criminal, it also gradually reveals layers of Rudra's life, which is a significant aspect of the current season's overarching storey.
Each of the first three episodes weaves in a thread from Rudra's inner circle - his troubled marriage with Shaila (Esha Deol Takhtani), his equations with his seniors, juniors, and peers, his passion for the job that comes at the cost of personal losses, and the methods he uses to delve deep into the minds of intelligent and dangerous criminals, often putting himself in danger - without deviating from on-going investigations.
Alia Choksi (Raashi Khanna) enters Rudra's life in the first episode. She's a young prodigy, a space research genius, and a suspect in a double-murder investigation. Rudra fails to fully justify her involvement to the rest of the world, but he does so to her, igniting an odd bond that spills over into later episodes.
The creators have taken great care to ensure that the adaptation has its own life. The team develops the show brick by brick, starting with the sombre visual tone and theme song, Tera Inaam, by Ananya Birla. Despite their length, the episodes keep your interest, occasionally even grossing you out, which is a hallmark of excellent writing in a place like this.
In his digital debut, Ajay performs admirably, despite the fact that he appears to be navigating a territory he has frequented in the course of his cinematic career. Of course, he does so deftly, making Rudra appear larger than life without resorting to over-the-top rhetoric.
