Shehar Lakhot

Shehar Lakhot, set in a fictional town, has intrigue, plot twists and turns, small-town politics and gritty characters that keep you riveted and at the edge of your seat until the conclusion.

What stood out for me were the convincing performances, especially by Priyanshu Painyuli, who plays the unlucky but endearing Dev Tomar, Chandan Roy Sanyal who plays the menacing Kairav Singh, Kubbra Sait as earnest SI Pallavi Raj trying to do her job against all odds and Manu Rishi Chadha as the creepy, corrupt SHO. Manjiri Pupala as the unhinged, trigger- happy villain's sidekick Bhi, was brilliant and fun to watch.

The writing is clever and keeps you engaged. The plot twists are unpredictable and leave you wanting more. I enjoyed watching this show immensely.

Went with high expectations after catching the excellently cut trailer, but was hugely disappointed. The series is set in the town of Lakhot somewhere in Rajasthan (though the cars have an RJ27 registration, so I think it was shot in or near Udaipur). It is a sleepy marble stone mining town, where our protagonist Devendra Singh Tomar (Priyanshu Painyuli), a negotiator working for Centre Marbles a supposed giant in the sector is sent (from Gurgaon to Lakhot) to work out a deal with the local protesting Kachdaar tribe, and the company executives of Centre Marble. The fight is over a slain deer on the mining land of the company, reminding us of the Bishnoi community of course. Dev himself has some bad blood with the town and the people living including his family. What follows is Dev getting muddled into the mysteries of the town where everybody hates him for some reason and trying to turn a new leaf for the sake of his family and an old flame.

Navdeep Singh tried emulating the same things that worked for him when he made Manorama Six Feet Under while writing Lakhot. So much so that he has set the series in the same city that his first movie took part in. No prizes for guessing this - Lakhot! But the reason why Manorama worked was because of its taught plot and interesting characters. It was a perfect neo-noir thriller complete with femme fatales, men from royalty turned dubious politicians, etc. And who did the makers have to thank for this excellently written film? Why, but Robert Towne and Roman Polanski! Because the entire movie was heavily inspired by the 1974 Oscar-winning screenplay of Chinatown! It's also weird that the two films that have worked well for Navdeep, i.e. NH10 and Manorama are both almost-remakes of Eden Lake and Chinatown respectively. The two times he tried something original with Laal Kaptaan and Lakhot, he has failed miserably.

None of the characters generate any interest or sympathy from the audience, nor do they try to do so, because the writing is such. Most of what Priyanshu Painyuli tries to say as Dev is quickly cut down by the five expletives he uses in the sentence, which leaves the audience perplexed! You'd have to peel through the alternately placed profanity to decode a sentence. So, the screenplay sucks! Chandan Roy Sanyal who is the villain is the only person who has been given a meaty role and he righteously delivers. But you don't have an ounce of a clue about how and why the characters are the way they are. So, it doesn't really matter. The makers give you quick-cut childhood flashbacks for most characters to give you a semblance of a backstory. But they add to the bore.

It was torture to sit through the entire series.

Do not let the negative reviews fool you into not watching this masterpiece. For those coming from dysfunctional homes, who have had aspirations and dreams in their childhood, this movie hits home hard.

There not a single flaw that I can find in the plot. The first two episodes may seem a bit of a drag but you end up realising that they were necessary to set tone and introduce characters.

Almost all actors have lived the characters they played, with the male lead and the quirky villain's side-kick Bhi, taking a leaf out of golden chops book.

The entire police, government and business nexus is shown wonderfully. Decadence in society, insecurities of the younger brother, women's dilemmas and the yearn for freedom is portrayed wonderfully in small video bites, where expressions, actings and settings say more than words can portray. The dark ambience of the entire series gives it a 'morose home town' vibe, which is apt for a plot like this.

Do not miss this for the world! It's wonderfully shot and presented, and the story and characters will stay with you for a long time after you've completed the series.

Watching the first episode and it's trying too hard to be quirky but the story isn't going anywhere. Too slow and boring. The first episode has the younger son returning to a small town and going around from place to place doing nothing in particular. One character breaks a guy's hand and 2 scenes later another character, acting over the top, kills an injured dog. The fat cop keeps on pulling his crotch in every scene and bows down on front of the dog killer. What are these scenes? Is this the best that can be done to introduce characters? Why and how such shows are greenlight, I wonder. They think violence, nasty and brooding characters, abuses is creativity. EDGY is the word used in the industry. Unfortunately they are wrong. They are all rejected film scripts turned into bad webseries.

"Shehar Lakhot" is a captivating series set in a marble mining town, revolving around the character of Dev Tomar. After a decade away, Dev returns to his hometown of Lakhot, only to find himself in the midst of a power struggle and rampant corruption. The death of his brother drags him deeper into a web of criminal activities.

Priyanshu Painyuli's portrayal of Dev is noteworthy, bringing a relatable moral compass to the character that makes him easy to root for. The series boasts a strong ensemble cast, including Chandan Roy Sanyal and Manu Rishi Chadha, who bring depth and entertainment to their roles. Kubbra Sait and Shruthy Menon also deliver compelling performances, contributing to the rich tapestry of characters that make the series engaging.

The narrative is skillfully written, blending exhilarating plot developments with stellar scriptwriting, including witty dialogues and humorous elements. The series also features beautiful locations, with the marble architecture of Kairav's residence and hotel standing out.

While the series is praised for its unpredictable narrative and exceptional character work, it does have some drawbacks. The pacing can be slow, and some narrative threads feel overstuffed. Additionally, the representation of homosexuality in the series has been criticized for being weak and used more as a plot device rather than an integral part of character identities.

Overall, "Shehar Lakhot" emerges as a strong and enjoyable thriller, despite some issues with episode length and narrative complexity. Its engaging story and strong character portrayals make it a series worth watching over time.