A still from ‘Bhagwat Chapter 1: Raakshas’
Just as most streaming services have exhausted the well of ‘serial killer hiding in plain sight’ narratives, Zee 5 arrives with Bhagwat Chapter 1: Raakshas. This film revisits a familiar premise: an unassuming man preys on young girls, pursued by a haunted police officer battling his own inner turmoil.
Drawing inspiration from real events, Bhagwat introduces us to an upright police officer, transferred to a remote posting in Robertsganj, Uttar Pradesh, as a form of punishment. As he investigates a missing girl’s case that threatens to ignite communal tensions, the film skillfully weaves in a blossoming romance between Sameer (Jitendra Kumar), a teacher from a marginalized community, and Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar).
Bhagwat (Hindi)
While the eventual connection between these narratives might not shock, director Akshay Shere, alongside writers Bhavini Bheda and Sumit Saxena, masterfully infuse this otherwise predictable whodunit with powerful socio-political undertones. These layers are what truly captivate, urging viewers to delve deeper into the ‘why’ behind the grim events. When Meera vanishes, suspicion immediately falls on a Muslim boy, hinting at a forced conversion plot. This quickly escalates into a brutal character assassination of the victim by both the system and those closest to her. Her own family, aided by technology, implicitly suggests she brought the misfortune upon herself. Shere subtly, yet effectively, illustrates how such a misogynistic and polarized societal environment inadvertently provides the perfect cover for a cunning killer to operate undetected and strike at will.
The film’s authentic small-town production design, paired with an palpable sense of urgency and dread, creates an oppressive atmosphere that truly resonates. Bhagwat, initially promising the distraught father to find his daughter within fifteen days, soon uncovers a disturbing pattern: a series of missing girls under eerily similar circumstances.
While the narrative treads familiar ground, reminiscent of series like Dahaad, director Akshay Shere, confined by a shorter runtime, occasionally succumbs to a desire to cater to a liberal, progressive streaming audience. This often makes the storytelling feel overly self-aware. Elements like Bhagwat’s past, involving a ‘wolf in saint’s clothing,’ or the inclusion of a prostitution ring, begin to feel somewhat contrived. The film’s attempts to overtly present its subtext rather than subtly weave it in can, at times, become a bit tiresome.
Given a solid script, Arshad Warsi effortlessly commands the screen, capable of waking even the most lethargic audience. Though he has physically transformed over the years, the fierce intensity seen in films like Sehar (2005) remains undimmed. Jitendra Kumar, playing against his typical earnest, simpleton persona, leverages his familiar image to deliver a surprisingly chilling performance. What might seem repetitive or annoying in other productions actually enhances the film here. However, much like the movie’s eager-to-surface subtext, Jitendra occasionally seems a bit too keen to ‘chew the scenery,’ still needing to refine that raw intensity.
Bhagwat Chapter 1: Raakshas is now available for streaming.