Aranyak Review: Raveena Tandon, Parambrata’s Netflix Mystery Thriller Series Is Highly Engrossing (LatestLY Exclusive)

Aranyak Review: Netflix's new Indian series, Aranyak, has an arresting premise, even if the elements do feel familiar in places. A murder mystery set in a hilly terrains that hides its own secrets and myths, Aranyak keep you guessing about its twists and turns with every episode and has enough power to hook you right till the flawed end. Plus, a contained set of fine actors like Raveena Tandon, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ashutosh Rana, Meghna Malik in the roost always helps the case. OTT Releases of the Week: Raveena Tandon’s Aranyak on Netflix, Sushmita Sen’s Aarya Season 2 on Disney+ Hotstar, Steven Strait’s The Expanse Season 6 on Amazon Prime Video and More.

Kasturi (Raveena Tandon), the local police inspector of a hilly town called Sironah in Himachal, is planning to take a year-long break from duty so that she can spend some time with her family. She isn't very happy with her replacement, the city-transferee Angad (Parambrata), who is also annoyed with her high-handed behaviour and the lackadaisical attitude of his subordinates.

The duo are also immediately thrown into a high-profile case where a French tourist Julie claims that her teenage daughter Aimee has gone missing, along with her Indian drug-dealer boyfriend. The girl later is found to be murdered hanging from a tree, with the locals claiming it to be the handiwork of nar tendua (were-leopard), who had killed a few girls 20 years back.

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Aranyak, directed by Vinay Waikul and written by Charudutt Acharya, begins with the kidnapping of a young boy that precedes a few years before the main events. Of course, it all comes connecting but the intrigue factor is set in right there, It does raise the cliche of a protagonist with a troubled background in Parambrata's Angad. His bookish and no-nonsense approach contrasts sharply with Kasturi's rough attitude and it reminded me of the two protagonists in Bong Joon-ho's Memories of Murder. Memories of Murder is about two cops searching out an elusive serial killer, an element that is also common in Aranyak.

As an investigative thriller, Aranyak is highly engaging setting up the main crime in the first episode, and bringing in all the red herrings. From two warring politicians Jagadamba (Meghna Malik) and Manhas (Zakir Hussain), to Manhas' son-in-law (Indraneil Sengupta) to errant teenagers to Kasturi's own emotionally manipulative husband, everyone seem to be having a connection to the rape and murder of the French girl. There is also Kasturi's father-in-law Mahadev (Ashutosh Rana) a retired hawaldar who is always stoned and is obsessed with the 'nar-tendua' who injured him during his old murder-spree.

The characters are all interesting, and I especially liked the way how Kasturi and Angad keep their differences aside and work together. The transition from derisiveness to respect is done nicely. The narrative gets further engrossing when the the various subplots interconnect with the main mystery angle. It feels convenient, but I didn't mind as long as it held my attention. There are some really nice surprises on the way with regards to certain principal characters. Everything worked well till the seventh episode end.

And then the final episode arrives, and that was a dampener. Without spoiling anything, the finale of Aranyak season 1 is one of the most underwhelming conclusions I have seen in recent times. It is not that some of the twists and reveals felt predictable - with only a handful of characters around, the circle of suspects are quite confined. It is how the whole climax felt more of an anti-climax like the ending for a '90s potboiler where a killer chases around his new victim. Even the ending that leaves a couple of cliffhangers for the next season felt lazy, as if the makers are obsessed with all the twists their plot can come up with, and wanted to throw everything at you. This is particularly annoying when the previous episode has been so good, including an unexpected fight sequence that I absolutely loved. Aranyak: Raveena Tandon Opens Up About Her Role as a Cop in Netflix’s Upcoming Show, Says ‘Women in Uniform Will Identify With My Character’.

The performances of the cast give you no trouble. Raveena Tandon is too good as the fierce cop guilted about not being a good mother. Parambrata is likeable, and both the actor share a nice camaraderie that is the root strength of the series. Ashutosh Rana's character felt like a convenient trope in the end, but the actor never disappoints like always. The rest of the cast, including the newcomers playing the teenagers, are excellent.

Yay!

- All the Performances, Especially Raveena and Parambrata

- The Engaging Screenplay, Well Almost

Nay!

- The Finale

Final Thoughts

Save for the underwhelming finale, Aranyak is gripping as a murder mystery series, with interconnecting and interesting subplots, and fine performances. Aranyak is streaming on Netflix.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2021 05:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).