Sultan of Delhi review: Tahir Raj Bhasin fails to redeem formulaic gangster drama | Web series

Filmmakers may now be turning that stereotype into a web series format, but audience patience has definitely reached saturation point. The same clichés, unnecessary skin showing, gangster fascination has now become so predictable that you know exactly where it’s going even before the reveal happens. For Milan Luthria, who gave us the powerful Once Upon a Time in Mumbai a decade ago, the new series Sultan of the Dead, based on Arnab Ray’s 2016 book of the same name, Expectations for “Delhi” were high. Unfortunately, everything descends into a disappointing mess. Even Tahir Raj Bhasin can’t save the poor storytelling, which is all show and no substance. (Also read: Anupriya Goenka says Mukesh Bhatt told her: ‘Betty, you remind me of Smita Patil’)

premise

Co-directed by Milan Luthria and Suparn S. Verma (whose The Trial was a different kind of disappointment), The Sultan of Delhi begins with a promise and an abandonment. We are introduced to Arjun (Ricky Patel). He has to witness the bloody massacre of his family that took place during Partition. He along with his father (Vijay Anand) manages to survive the night and reach Delhi. This is a new beginning for him.

I do not have any questions

But the refugee camp part is more of a checklist for the story than an inculcation into how Arjuna had to learn the ropes of surviving in this world. 10 years passed in a blink of an eye and all of a sudden we got to know Arjun. He is currently an auto mechanic. Tahir Raj Bhasin appears with his careful body language and perfect hairstyle. Soon, he works under Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak) and establishes himself as a strong leader. If you ask why, you will find that there is a ridiculously staged illegal ammunition deal that involves the unnecessary killing of many police officers. When I ask why again, there is no answer. It’s better to leave the questions out there, you’ll figure it out as the episode arrives.

Arjun’s nemesis here is Rajinder Pratap Singh (Nishant Dahiya), an aristocratic brat who would be better off dealing with his own paternity issues. He is supported by Shankari (Anupriya Goenka) who plays the manipulative mistress. With her weird, skimpy costumes, she’s probably the most hastily written character in the show, and she has no interest in understanding us at all.

final thoughts

And Mouni Roy appears as a completely unnecessary cabaret dancer in a Calcutta nightclub midway through the show, which culminates in a ridiculous bank robbery scene a few scenes later. Another bizarre scene features Arjun stripping naked in front of the gang to prove his loyalty. The show also has an infuriating sense of the period and politics of its time, entrenching the worst kinds of stereotypes to advance the plot. One such example of him is film director Roy Babu. His talent in action lies in thwarting bank robberies he views as insurrections.

Tahir Raj Bhasin has little to do when he is not given room to flesh out his character in the midst of such a monotonous story. Each character plays out as the audience perceives them to be, portrayed in broad, formulaic brushstrokes with no depth. There is no need to invest in these settings or commit to maintaining them long-term. After nine episodes, one stops caring. This is a disappointing adaptation, barely redeemed by its sordid ending.

The Sultans of Delhi will be available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from October 13th.

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