Dahaad

Over the years, I've realized that that murder mysteries are usually either 1. Whodunnits: We, the audience, and the protagonist, together, find out who the bad guy is OR 2. Howcatchem (A term I didn't know existed): We know who the bad guy is from the very beginning, and HOW the protagonist finds out who it is in the ride we're on. #1 is tough, #2 is SO MUCH TOUGHER.

Most of the shows, especially the desi ones in the recent past, pick style #1 since it's relatively easier and overdo misleading the audience. Think Vadanthi, Aranyak, etc. I think it's very bold of a write to pick writing style #2, you've revealed who the 'bad guy' is, how do you keep the audience invested now? Think Dexter, Death Note, and dare I say, Drishyam?

Dahaad falls into the second category and (nitpicking aside) it is very well made suspense-thriller in comparison to recent content in this genre. All performances are top-notch, Sonakshi was trolled over the years but I'm glad she got a chance to play something she's not in the past. Vijay Varma and all the support cast - slow claps. I did hear that the Rajasthani accent was inconsistent throughout the show but I didn't catch it since the actual show was gripping.

In addition to the murder plot, there's a lot of social commentary on gender inequality, violence against women, casteism, and so on - without it getting preachy or in your face. Good cinematography; the intense sound design and music deserves a special mention.

We rarely get serial killer on the loose shows out of India and if we do, they're mostly backed by lackluster writing that assumes the audience is dumb. This...was different. GOOD different!

Firstly, I am not the target audience here. I am a Telugu speaking person. I picked this web-series only because I am fan of crime / mystery/ thrillers.

I was a little skeptical if I should continue watching this show after the first episode. Glad, I decided to give it an other chance because the episodes 2 to 8 are intriguing. I wouldn't say the show is mind-boggling or out of the world but its definitely a good enough show especially if you are interested in this genre.

The plot is good (based on a real criminal) / actors suit the part (most of them slayed their performances) / locations are neat (very raw and realistic) / very rarely lagged - most of the episodes are crisp.

Other than good crime/ thriller / mystery / drama aspects, this show has some beautiful sub-plots showing all the bad stuff that's happening in our society.

The way we force our kids /especially women to get married as if there is nothing else for them to do in their life - The way we should support every individual / especially women to be independent in their life - The way we still discriminate people based on their caste but not their caliber - Normalizing having a freedom of seeing someone before getting married, especially of a women - How to subtly teach kids what is right and wrong when they do something bad in stead of beating / abusing them left right center - Treating male kid same as ones female kid - Normalizing having an attraction towards the colleagues at workplaces and the doesn't necessarily mean one should get into affairs which could affect an entire family / generation - Showing how a strong man can also be mentally affected and how we neglect it in our society.

There might be few other things I might have missed. However, on a final note, I liked my time watching this series. Will recommend.

A fantastic crime thriller, truly staggering in depth and complexity. This is perhaps the first time we have seen a serial killer who operates and thrives in developing nations' archaic, biased and unfair culture, especially in the rural areas of Rajasthan where caste and gender still dominate lives. I was amazed that this is based on a true story.

Sonakshi brilliantly plays Anjali, a lower caste up-and-coming police officer whose passion and ambition outdoes her society-allocated station in life. She shows dogged determination to crack the cases of mysterious disappearances and tragic suicides and demonstrates an unwavering commitment to duty.

The writers of this brilliant series take great pains to keep the viewer guessing, unable to predict the next move of the genius-level serial killer, as tangled webs are woven. The monster disguised as an angel is utterly effective in evading capture.

I also appreciated the fresh take on the personal lives of police officers, who are subject to the same domestic challenges as the rest of us. The harsh backdrop of the sand-blasted towns of Rajasthan is a unique setting for this game of cat and mouse. I hope they continue this series.

I don't get why the series is getting bad reviews from mainstream media. It is an excellent series with good acting, a well-paced story and backed by a good score.

It's gripping and unsettling. The screenplay is realistic. The writing is actually my favourite thing about this series. It captures both the apathy and tenacity of police in India. Its subtle commentary on Indian society is accurate af. It captures, very perfectly, the struggle women face, especially in rural and semi-rural India. And it does so in a thriller, wherein the viewer already knows who the killer is... that is not an easy feat.

Binge worthy series.

Usually it's always difficult to make a good serial killer story, but Dahaad is so beautifully written and directed that I coup help but binge watched the entire season in a day. And while telling a gruesome story of a psychopath the story points out to many flaws in our society, from gender biasness, caste system, and social pressure on girls to marry and of course the dowry system in India. But none of this social messages were nicely woven into the story and didn't appear as a propaganda. One of the best series in hindi in recent times. Very well written, edited, executed, acted and above all perfect casting. Good to see Sonakshi Sinha being utilised to her potential. All the characters are so well developed and performed by each actors. Vijay Verma's performance is so good, that no adjectives are enough for that. There are times seeing Vijay Verma's character will give you a skin crawling feeling. At times his subtle performance was so good that he reminded me of Irfan Khan.