Dahaad

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.

The story of Dahaad is based on Cyanide Mohan, a South Indian serial killer. Firstly, the series is well thought out and well constructed. The cinematography is top grade; the set design feels very authentic; scenes of Rajasthan are as fantastic as this land truly is. The dialogues are well written, and the actors' delivery sound very Rajasthani except for a few (you know who).

The integration of present-day communal and religious tension in the series is intelligent. It provides a different flavor compared to the usual Serial Killer Thrillers. But the social issues get too dragged in the show. Highlighting issues like casteism or misogyny is a good thought, but making it one of the main themes in a crime thriller has tediously lengthened the series.

Another point in question is that though the story is set in present-day Rajasthan, some scenes in Dahaad feel like scenes in some American crime series. The reason being the excess of typical American series elements directly borrowed and put into Indian settings. Such American elements feel artificial to Indian policing, which is at the centre of the show.

The climax and all the later episodes are very predictable, quite in contrast to the first 2-3 episodes that fully grip your attention.

P. S. - A shoutout to Gulshan Devaiah and Vijay Varma for their awesome performances.

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.

Amongst many ordinary thriller web-series and movies with known star-casts, it is rare to get a true edge-of-the-seat thriller series that stands-out.

Dahaad is one of the rare good ones.

Surprised to see the low rating and reflects probably more on who all have watched thus far.

Whether casting, story, pace, dialogues or filming, all are top-notch and you will be pleasantly surprised when you finish the series. More importantly, it is not one of those stupid series which ends season 1 with many unanswered questions.

Good one for binge-watch and then feel satisfied that u did. Hope to see season 2 getting made and being in the similar league of Family Man.

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!