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Sultan of Delhi Review: Disney+ Hotstar's new show Sultan of Delhi is based on Arnab Ray's best-selling novel Sultan of Delhi: Ascension. The book was quite an action-packed saga that aligns perfectly with the style of Milan Luthria, a director renowned for crafting spicy entertainers like Kachche Dhaage, Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, The Dirty Picture, and Baadshaho. The series adaptation possesses all the elements you'd anticipate in a classic masala entertainer - a hero's journey from poverty to wealth that also corrupts him, a villain who oozes privilege, thrilling action sequences, romantic ballads, and even item numbers. The nostalgic ambiance of its period setting adds a unique flavor. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the tadka needed to make this show a win is missing from this masala potpourri. Sultan of Delhi Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin Reveals the Kind of Projects That Attract Him.
Primarily set in the 1960s, Sultan of Delhi follows the story of Arjun Bhatia (Tahir Raj Bhasin), who, as a child, migrated from Lahore to Delhi during the partition, enduring harrowing experiences during the migration and difficult times at the refugee camp, which eventually shaped him into a rebel. As a young man, he becomes the right-hand man of Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak), the leader of a smuggling ring, while maintaining a steadfast friendship with Bangali (Anjum Sharma), another of Seth's henchmen.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Rajendar (Nishant Dahiya), the son of a wealthy doctor who has always lived in the shadow of his father and lusts after his father's mistress, Shankari Devi (Anupriya Goenka). When his father passes away, Rajendar seizes both his father's legacy and his mistress. With Shankari pulling the strings, Rajendar seeks to ascend in power and wealth, forming a partnership with Jagan Seth. He also harbours a strong animosity toward Arjun, even though there is no clear explanation as to why, and their rivalry significantly shapes their destinies in the series ahead.
Watch the Trailer of Sultan of Delhi:
While watching Sultan of Delhi at various junctures, I had to remind myself that it's a series, not a movie. Unfortunately, it's not a very good one at that. The show feels like a potboiler stretched out over nine episodes in its first season, and this effect is palpable throughout. Milan Luthria evokes memories of some of his big hits in the series - especially when he features trains that harked back to his Kachche Dhaage - but the zest is noticeably absent from the very beginning, despite lofty ambitions.
The problem is that we've seen this type of content before in the movies, and most of the story beats come across as quite predictable, including the easily anticipated double-crosses and betrayals. The writing doesn't appear eager to engage the viewer in critical thinking or to make them genuinely believe in its plot developments. There's a bank robbery scene that should have been daring in its execution, but the impact is disappointingly absent when witnessed on screen. It feels implausible and smacks of convenient storytelling.
The only scene that genuinely surprised me was the final interaction between Arjun and his father (Bijay Anand). Aside from that, there's not much that stands out. Even the scene (SPOILERS AHEAD) where a major rift occurs between Arjun and Bangali struck me as a clear-cut example of the creators attempting to inject drama but not having the writing to justify it. The action sequences also do not aim to make much of an impression, while Luthria clearly misses the absence of Rajat Arora and Shridhar Raghavan since the dialogues lack the spark that made his movies stand out. Sultan of Delhi: Mouni Roy Reveals She Tried 200 Outfits, Experimented With Hairstyles for Her Retro Look in the Series.
Most of the female characters are essentially peripheral to the plot - they are either victims of male egos or merely swoon over the hero. The only significant female character, Anupriya's Shankari Devi, is portrayed as a seductive and manipulative femme fatale, and the actress seems to relish the role. Mouni Roy enters the scene relatively late in the series, around the sixth episode, and after her introductory song-and-dance routine, she doesn't have much to do apart from batting her eyelids at the hero and inexplicably agreeing to date his friend.
Harleen Sethi's character vanishes for a significant portion of the show after being introduced as Arjun's childhood friend who harbours a crush on him. Mehreen Pirzada gets a decent amount of screen time, but her character doesn't leave much of an impression, while the conclusion of her character was awfully done.
As for the male cast, Tahir Raj Bhasin delivers a solid performance as the anti-hero, although his acting falters near the end due to rushed writing, which introduces an air of artificiality to his character. Anjum Sharma gets a meaty role and fully immerses himself in his character, though he only gets to delve beyond his mischievous friend persona in the last couple of episodes. Nishant Dahiya infuses enough smarminess into his portrayal of Rajendar to make the character genuinely repulsive, while Vinay Pathak's performance is decent enough.
Final Thoughts
Sultan of Delhi certainly boasts the ingredients of a classic masala potboiler: a tumultuous journey from the partition-era struggles of an anti-hero, drawing parallels to Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar (the Yash Chopra one, not the Milan Luthria jail-break film) to the allure of power, love, and betrayal. Yet, despite the familiar elements and nods to its director's past hits, the series doesn't quite capture the same spark. It meanders as a stretched-out storyline, and the characters often remain one-dimensional. The first season of Sultan of Delhi, with its nine episodes, is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 13, 2023 10:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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