In what seems like a Devdutt Patnaik rendition of the classical epic, HoiChoi’s Mahabharat Murders re-presents the battle of Kurukshetra — in a modern, dynamic Indian setting. An alternative, creative outlook runs through the plot as the OTT series tries to weave crime, murder, and politics together. With six out of 12 episodes aired so far, it has managed to keep audiences hooked — action, violence and gore, and steely characters complement each other amid a fast-paced search for the murderer.
Based on a book of the same title by Arnab Ray and directed by Soumik Haldar, Mahabharat Murders follows a Duryodhan taking over the narrative of the epic and inversing it to take revenge on the Pandavas for their victory in the Kurukshetra battle. It features some of the most prolific actors in the Bengali entertainment industry, including Saswata Chatterjee, Priyanka Sarkar, Arjun Chakrabarty, Rishav Basu, and global star Kaushik Sen.
Typical murder mystery–but there’s more
Mahabharat Murders emulates a typical crime thriller where serial murders are committed in bureaucratic settings to carry out personal vengeance. The story starts off when Devika (Arpita Ghosh), a young model, is murdered brutally in her house and the murderers leave behind a Mahabharata comic poster and one of Pabitra Chatterjee, a famous politician. What follows is just more interconnected characters killed in a similar pattern. Tragic backstory trails the protagonist, romantic encounters dot the plot, politicians are gravely involved, and beautiful women are tortured — all that stays faithful to the genre. However, what makes it unique is the blend of myth and modernity — elements of Mahabharata are woven into modern-day characters seamlessly. Crime investigators Ruskana (Priyanka Sarkar) and Siddhartho (Arjun Chakrabarty) are assisted by Pabitra Chatterjee (Saswata Chatterjee), an aspiring politician, who, known for his sincerity, is popularly called Yudhishthira, alluding to the epic figure. The allusion is more than mere symbolism — Pabitra discusses with Ruksana the various angles to Mahabharata, applying the interpretations to the murder mystery to help with its resolution.
There are multiple characters inspired by figures from the Mahabharata — adult film star Devika (Arpita Ghosh) is Draupadi, Dr Bipul (Arna Mukhopadhyay) is Nakul, Prakash (Rajdeep Gupta) is Sahadev, all of who play out their parts brilliantly.
Besides the obvious classical overlay in Mahabharat Murders, there’s more to director Soumik Haldar’s credit. The most striking character in the series, so far, has been Vicky Patel (Rishav Basu), an adult filmmaker and drug dealer for celebrities. Resembling a younger Jim Sarbh, Vicky adds his own brand of entertainment besides the murder mystery thrill and acts as the link between all the characters.
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A grey battle
An important aspect of Mahabharat Murders is that none of the characters fit into an objective idea of good versus evil even as the show consciously tries to create a divide between both extremes, leaving open grey areas for audiences to explore. Plus, there is something haunting and ominous about the power play — in ‘Kurukshetra’, the figurative battleground of the investigators and the murderer, the characters are pawns in a grand game of chess. This Kurukshetra is a world of power, money, technology, and sexual desire. There is little place for love — in the new world of material pleasure, Duryodhana finds himself a better fit in society and Pandavas are the outcast.
The screenwriter has tried his level best to create a well-rounded universe with a solid material foundation. As a regional series, it has the potential to be on a larger platform and pander to audiences beyond Bengal, known for its crime thriller enthusiasts.
Overall, Mahabharata Murders is a refreshing series to watch. As more episodes are awaited and curiosity builds around the plot, it will, hopefully, live up to the standards set so far.
Yashika Singla is an intern with ThePrint.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)