Code M

The backdrop is Jodhpur, a place with stringent Army vigilance due to proximity to the border. The subject is the encounter killing of two terrorists in a neighbouring village alleged to be associated with arms smuggling and the death of Major Siddharth Paswan who was shot by the terrorists before being killed. The problem is the villagers who swear at the innocence of the alleged terrorists and demand an investigation into the army affairs. Initially reluctant, Col. Suryaveer Chauhan (Rajat Kapoor) calls on Major Monica Mehra (Jennifer Winget) to file an investigation report about what transpired on the fateful night. He has his skin the game too, as the officer who died was the fiance of his only beloved daughter and he too is distraught due to the loss. It's a simple, open and shut case, where all Monica has to do is interview the two other army officers Shakti Mandappa (Aalekh Kapoor) and Gaurav Shekhawat (Keshav Sadhna), who had backed up Major Paswan and managed to gun down the armed terrorists and submit their version.

Things however, don't turn out to be that simple for Monica. She starts receiving clues and photos about the terrorists and it appears to her that they were known to her interviewees. Also, Shakti and Gaurav seem to be too much in tune with each other, providing specific, accurate and symmetrical descriptions of the events. Instinctively, Monica knows something isn't right. In the meanwhile, after being constantly badgered by her questions, Shakti and Gaurav insist on getting their own legal counsel, and suddenly, Monica has an adversary in Angad Sandhu (Tanuj Virwani), a blast from her past. Determined, Monica pushes harder to get to the bottom of the case as she continues to receive information from various sources that doesn't quite coincide with the story that she has been told.

Code M is reminiscent of "Shaurya" and "A Few Good Men", obviously inspired by them. Director Akshay Choubey unravels the plot very slowly and holds suspense until the very last episode when an unsavoury secret tumbles out of the cupboard, retrieved by Monica, that is based on strong convictions, ideologies, family honour and sexual orientation. Code M is immensely watchable with its 8 episodes back to back. It's fast paced, marked by strong performances and dialogues, and Jennifer Winget nails it in. It is a little unfortunate that Rajat Kapoor couldn't be given his full flow and we fell short of seeing him at his intense best, because the script warranted it that way.

Army lawyer, Major Monica Mehra (Jennifer Winget), gets roped in to investigate an open-and-shut encounter case in which an army officer and two suspected terrorists were killed. However, as the facts unfold, she realises that the case is way more complex than it appears to be.

In the opening scene, three army officers-Shakti Mandappa (Aalekh Kapoor), Gaurav Shekhawat (Keshav Sadhna) and Ajay Paswan (Govind Chaudhary)-are seen chasing two militant suspects in Munabao village, Rajasthan, near the Indo-Pak border. After a series of bullets are fired, the two militants are gunned down and Major Ajay loses his life. The encounter becomes the talk of the town after the mother (Seema Biswas) of the alleged militant sets herself on fire claiming her sons' innocence. At that point military lawyer, Monica Mehra (Jennifer Winget) is called from Pune to Jodhpur by her mentor Colonel Suryaveer Chauhan (Rajat Kapoor) to work as an investigating officer on the case. As Monica begins questioning Ajay's colleagues, who were there with him on that fateful night, layers start coming off and the two 'terrorists' seem as much victims as the army man. But, what is the truth behind these killings? Will she be able to crack this case?

Directed by Akshay Choubey, this eight-part series is a crisp and fast-paced thriller. Despite the show having multiple subtexts-a cold-blooded murder, casteism, fake encounters, and more-it manages to portray all the different perspectives well. Additionally, 'Code M' offers us several unusual twists and a mind-blowing climax. The writer (Shubhra Chatterjee) deserves praise for keeping the narrative engrossing without any melodrama, especially when Monica meets another legal counsel on the case, Angad Sadhu (Tanuj Virwani), who's also her ex-boyfriend. They maturely work together to solve the case. Editing by Prakash R Yadav makes the transition between the scenes flawless. The title track and the background music by Udbhav Ojha perfectly blends into the story and boost up the overall impact of this suspense drama.

Jennifer Winget makes an impressive debut on the digital platform as an army lawyer who delves into a high-profile case just days before her wedding. As a lawyer, unfortunately, she does not look convincing, but the charm of an army uniform does its magic with confidence adding to her looks. She is decent at pinning down people and pulling off action stunts. After playing the volatile Vayu Raghavan in 'Inside Edge', Tanuj Virwani yet again impresses with his raw intensity in playing his character, Angad Sandhu. Rajat Kapoor stands out as a no-nonsense army man.

The duration of 20-30 minutes per episode is not enough to build up a muddled case and eventually, this thriller turns into a whodunit story. But with so many shows dealing with men in uniform, it was a pleasant change to see a woman lead the way. To conclude, 'Code M' is a delightful watch that will leave you with a bag full of mixed thoughts and emotions.

It is not a good attempt, provided the plot was good. The direction needs a lot of improvement, acting again is low standard. Even if you try hard to be connected, poor gripping screenplay does not help. Lots of better option, the one on similar lines is Test Case that came in 2018 on Alt Balaji. Most curious to meet people who give 9 or 10. Either they have not seen anything else or have a really imaginary taste.

Story was fab! tried to give a social msg... jennifer,an excellent actor gave full justice to the character of an army....i must recommend to watch it....

Story is predictable since the outset. Acting-wise it's good, watchable. But having watched "Shaurya", you are disappointed. Less said the better.