Asur Review: A woman is attacked, brutally killed and morbidly disposed off by an unknown killer. The coordinates of the body are sent to Nikhil (Barun Sobti), a former CBI forensic expert, now teaching forensics in the States. Meanwhile, his former mentor Dhananjay aka DJ (Arshad Warsi), a senior CBI officer, is investigating the murder, along with his team, consisting of Nusrat (Riddhi Dogra) and Lolark (Sharib Hashmi). They realise that it is the work of a serial killer, as the pattern has been repeated in the past. Then a twist happens in the investigation, that puts DJ out of the game, and Nikhil, who has an unresolved issue with his mentor, leading the investigation. Asur: Arshad Warsi to Make His Digital Debut with a Psychological-Thriller Series.

Every episode, that is directed by Oni Sen and is currently streaming in Voot Select, begins with a glimpse into the past of the mysterious killer. Along with the team of heroes - even Nikhil's disgruntled wife Naina (Anupriya Goenka) plays her part in trying to solve the mystery - the show allows the viewer to help connect the dots themselves and identify the killer. I kinda did it very soon in the series; maybe because I was aware of the calibre of the actor (who was terrific in the last episode) that raised red flags for me (which, in turn, turned out to be true). But despite the early deduction (for me), Asur does a good job of keeping the mystery guess-worthy till the last episode, especially after the huge twist at the end of the first one.

There are plenty of such twists in the tale, but nothing goes as big as the benchmark set by the first twist. But they are enough to keep you riveted with where the plot is going. The makers have successfully managed to create a haunting atmosphere, aided by a sombre background score, that is ready to suck you in from the first episode itself. The show also keeps things interesting by switching between Nikhil and DJ, as to who is the main protagonist, until it is realised that both are being played upon.

There are pacing issues, though, especially after the abduction of a key 'character' (the portion that comes before is especially thrilling). But Asur finds an ingenious way to keep things captivating, especially in how it uses this subplot. There is also some very smart writing involved in the forensics part of the show (I may be an ignoramus here, but the show manages to convince me with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo) and the chilling modus operandi of the killer. Especially, when you go back and think on how easily he manages to get to his victims, even in tight situations (hint: silver tongue).

The best part is how Asur uses 'karma' as a narrative device to create arcs for both its protagonists and the antagonist - what goes around comes around for them. Even the conclusion, while maybe not going the way you want it to go, leaves things interesting and open-ended for the next season to arrive (yes, there should be one.)

There are some rookie mistakes, though, in both the writing and execution. Like, the video that the CBI receives of the first victim's killing has the same camera angles as when the actual killing is shown earlier. Either this is a loophole, or a deliberate mistake. If the latter is the case, then why does the investigating team never think that there could be two or more people involved?

Watch The Trailer of Asur here:

Nikhil, on two separate occasions, reveals a key detail about DJ that elicits the same surprised response from a colleague. At one point, DJ realises that someone in his team could be on the other side, but he never checks into that. Or, how one character, who is incarcerated in jail, is allowed to roam freely to investigate the case, despite being told that he has to work within the prison itself.

The supposed love triangle between Nikhil, Naina and Nusrat (interesting that all these characters have the same initial), also, doesn't add much to the plot, and needs further exploration. Maybe that would be done in the second season.

Regardless of whether you bypass these little loopholes or not, the series does make sure you are in for a jolly, gripping time. Shows such as Asur are as good as the antagonist and that's what makes this one so fascinating. The villain of the piece reminded of the Joker in The Dark Knight in wanting to create dangerous challenges that end up in chaos or morbid dilemmas that stokes taunts the humanity in you. His big plan in the finale is also similar to the Joker's in TDK, except it turns out to be more gloomy (and works within the current socio-political milieu).

And yet, he is different from the Clown Prince in a few ways. For one, he is reluctant to show his face, painted or not (and when he does, he has 'many'). We also get to see how his father gave him the 'mental' scars. While the Joker is brilliant from context, the 'Asur' has everything spelt out for us. He is so freaking genius, that if the heroes are brilliant, then he somehow manages to be two steps ahead of them right till the very end. At one point, Lolark even tells Nikhil to stop harping on the killer's genius methods, otherwise he will become his fan.

'Asur', as the name suggests, also has his philosophy deeply trenched in the Hindu mythology and lore. This comes with both benefits and concerns. The benefit being the idea adds a lot of enigma and character to the antagonist, successfully creating a hypnotic allure about him. Which is also aided by a fantastic act by Vishesh Bansal, who plays the 'Asur' when he was a teenager. The concern here is that we have seen this trope played in other OTT shows, notably in Sacred Games and Leila. The show may do a decent job of showing how someone with knowledge of puranas can misuse it to corrupt the innocents in becoming asuras, but it is a bridge crossed too often.

Speaking of the performances, they help in elevating the show to a great extent. Arshad Warsi effectively underplays his performance, and makes us invest in his character, a brilliant officer who has his own demons (that come to bite him later). He is particularly good in the scene where he breaks down in front of Naina, or his two angry out-of-character outbursts, that are immediately followed by an apology.

Barun Sobti puts up a great show as the downbeat forensics expert, whose ingenuity is later turned into a weapon. He is very impressive in the latter half of the season, where his character is stuck in a nearly inescapable situation.

A reliable Sharib Hashmi is getting typecast as the 'reliable' subordinate, despite a dedicated performance here. I wish Riddhi Dogra had more to do in the show, especially in the second half, as the actress has the needed calibre to pull off the harrowed forensic whizz. Anupriya Goenka's character could also have ended up as another example of the show's reluctance to utilise its female characters in a better way. Thankfully, Naina is put to more use in the concluding portions, and the actress does a really good job there. Gaurav Arora, of Raaz Reboot fame, who arrives in the second half is suitably magnetic.

Yay!

- The Smart, Suspenseful Narrative

- The Performances

- The Buildup of the Mystery

- Some Good Twists

Nay!

- A Few Glaring Loopholes

- The Female Leads Needed Better Arcs

- (Now) Overused Religious Narrative Device

- The Conclusion May Prove Divisive to Viewers

Final Thoughts

Asur is both alluring and compelling enough in its first season to binge-watch it at one go. Fans of the mystery genre has a lot to like in this new Voot Select show, that marks a fine debut of Arshad Warsi in the OTT platform, while also showcasing an incredible show from Barun Sobti. Easily recommended!

Rating:3.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 11, 2020 11:31 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).