In all these years of watching and listening to scores of remixed music, never had I imagined that a song so peppy, flirty, and iconic 90s as ‘Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein’ from the 1993 blockbuster “Baazigar” could be turned into a soundtrack so sinister as in Netflix’s latest series “Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein.” The Hindi-language series not only remixes the song to sound ominous but also gives a menacing interpretation to William Shakespeare’s famous phrase: “For she had eyes and chose me.”
Vikrant (Tahir Raj Bhasin) is a fresh engineering graduate who has his life planned out. He has applied for an entry-level position at a steel factory in another town and is fairly confident about getting hired. Once he gets the job, he will marry his sweetheart Shikha (Shweta Tripathi Sharma) and leave his hometown to live happily ever after.
But just then the entry of an old acquaintance completely changes his life’s trajectory. Purva (Anchal Singh), an old schoolmate and the daughter of Onkara’s notorious MLA Akheraj Awasthi Vidrohi (Saurabh Shukla), enters Vikrant’s life to destroy it.
The Awasthi family is among the main reasons Vikrant wants to leave Onkara. His father works under and worships Akheraj, a ruthless criminal in the guise of a politician and as for Purva, her presence and advances even as children always made Vikrant uncomfortable. Now that she is back and all grown up, Purva’s friendship proposal for Vikrant has turned into a full-blown demand to marry her. As reluctant as he is, the pressure from his own family as well as the Awasthis makes Vikrant fight for his life, literally.
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is dark humor mixed with thrilling elements to keep the audience occupied throughout. The twists and turns till the very end are convincing, if you overlook a few momentary lapses. Right from the beginning scene where Vikrant, under distress, begins to narrate his life story, the film takes this tone of urgency and despair that become its motif.
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Director Sidharth Sengupta narrates the clichéd 90s Bollywood pulp fiction story in eight episodes of under an hour each. Although the storyline, like its OST, resembles a remix of various Bollywood plots and subplots from the 90s and early 2000s, Sengupta uses a modern filmmaker’s lens to create contemporary visuals that are enticing and entertaining. The setting, in a bustling town in India’s Uttar Pradesh, is captured to bring to light every detail, giving the audience an inside view of the people and life there.
The strong screenplay and storytelling of Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is further strengthened by the acting. Tahir Raj Bhasin is an absolute gem in his role as Vikrant, a common man who has to fight tooth and nail to protect himself and his loved ones. Anchal Singh as Purva, the desi femme fatale looks at ease inflicting every possible pain on the star-crossed lovers. Saurabh Shukla, in a rare negative role, is still at his natural best as Akheraj Awasthi, the overpowering villain who makes life miserable for everyone who defies him.
Among the main characters, Shweta Tripathi Sharma as Shikha is a bit underwhelming though, borrowing her wardrobe and style from her 2015 film “Masaan” but her character lacks the intensity here. In all fairness to the actor, the writers seem to have strangely written Shikha as a submissive tool who is under the control of everyone around her but herself.
Who should watch it?
“Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein,” is a solid entertainer that could cater to the audiences of thrillers with a pinch of dark humor. The whole series can be watched over a weekend. For me, I am already excited about the second season.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Thriller
Actors: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anchal Singh, Saurabh Shukla
Director: Sidharth Sengupta
Run time: 6hrs 30mins (Approx.)
