I do not usually review television series unless they are mighty interesting or are short and finish within a season. And had I not come across a review in an Indian daily that completely bashed the series as ‘problematic,’ I wouldn’t even have watched “Aranyak”, which was recently released on Netflix. 

The reviewer had a problem with almost everything with the series, which currently has a user rating of 8.2/10 on IMDB.  “How bad could it be?” I thought, as the trailer was not at all disappointing. Then I realized how subjective a series or film could be when one reviewer criticizes it as below par while a host of other, equally popular reviewers praise it as one of the best. What I think is, reviewers need to watch and write about a movie for what it is—a movie and not read in between the lines too much.

Aranyak is a suspense thriller based in a small, imaginary town of Sironah, somewhere in Himachal Pradesh. The simple townsfolk of the remote Sironah are leading a normal life until there’s a gruesome murder in town, brining back horrifying memories of ‘Nartendua’—a half-man, half-leopard that had last been on a killing spree some 19 years ago.

When Aimee (Anna Ador) is found raped and hanged to death in a forest, SHO Kasturi (Raveena Tandon), who is in her last day at work before a year-long sabbatical, becomes personally invested in the case, which would be her biggest so far. Unfortunately, for her, her replacement Angad (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) has already taken command of the post and begins the investigation. This leads to a power struggle as the two dedicated cops fight to find the culprit behind Aimee’s gruesome murder.

Fighting against each other for power would be the lesser of their challenges though. In a town mostly blinded by folklore, all fingers point towards ‘nartendua’ as the perpetrator. But along the lines of a classic whodunit, the investigation leads towards multiple suspects—powerful, high-placed humans. Soon the two cops—Kasturi, a local and a mother of two who has had problems managing work-life balance and Angad, an outsider who has had family problems of his own—find themselves in a storm of suspense, deception and political power which influences their investigation.

Also read: Jhyanakuti movie review: A film that tries too hard

With just eight episodes of around 45-50 minutes each, Aranyak is a gripping thriller that plays with the audiences’ mind. On the one hand, the audience might start imagining a mystic creature entering the screen anytime. On the other, there are so many possible suspects. The writer Charudutt Acharya and director Vinay Waikul spin a gripping tale until the very end of the series.

Aranyak also marks the return of Raveen Tandon to the screen. The actor, known for her beauty, dancing skills and comic timing in the 90s, is now a changed persona. As Kasturi, a character fighting many battles at home and outside, Tandon is stoic, strong and promises an extended OTT stay.

While the acting of the whole cast is commendable, the presence of veteran actors like Ashutosh Rana, Zakir Hussain and Meghna Malik bolsters the strength of the series. But maybe due to the brevity of the series or too much time spent creating suspenseful situations, the supporting actors—especially those mentioned—feel underutilized. The climax, after the big build-up, is also a bit underwhelming, but not a deal-breaker if you want to watch the series. There are hints of a sequel and we can only hope the few mistakes are rectified there.

Who should watch it?

Aranyak is a series that can be recommended to everyone interested in thrillers minus too much gore and violence. The story, screenplay and acting are packaged not to require anything gimmicky, which makes the film even more interesting. Also, the story finishes with the last episode, and so you have all the more reasons to binge-watch it over the weekend.

Aranyak

Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Thriller, crime
Director: Vinay Waikul
Actors: Raveen Tandon, Parambrata Chattopadhyay
Run time: 5hrs 30mins approx.