'Kankhajura' web-series review: Mohit Raina and Roshan Mathew's thriller swings between pulsating and predictable

Cast: Mohit Raina, Roshan Mathew, Sarah Jane Dias, Ninad Kamat

Director: Chandan Arora

Language: Hindi

First of all, let’s welcome back Chandan Arora. The man who was closely associated with Ram Gopal Varma’s cinema as an editor. He made two very watchable films (Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon and Main Meri Patni Aur Woh) and then the underrated Striker in 2010 only to disappear into oblivion. At least his Wikipedia page says his new web series called Kankhajura is his first piece of work as a director in the last 15 years. And because this is a show, the man can explore as much gravitas of his narrative as possible. He knows how to use his pair of scissors as he’s been an editor.

In his first two films as a director, Rajpal Yadav was the surprise package, the volcano of talent as Rishi Kapoor said in Luck By Chance. In Kankhajura, Roshan Mathew is that ticking time bomb that can explode anytime. He plays Ashu, has been in prison for 14 years, stutters while speaking and tries to reconnect with his brother. The brother is played by the always solid Mohit Raina. It was also good to see Sarah Jane Dias and Ninad Kamat. Ashu has a dark past as per the description given for the story and Mathew’s interviews. Every time there’s a man with a dark past, it gives the filmmakers an opportunity or even an excuse to play with that character and throw all possible shades at him. They oscillate between black, white, and grey, precisely how SonyLIV did with their recent show of the same name remarkably.

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So far so good. But I’m not a fan of naïve and gullible characters revealing themselves to be smarter than what we perceived of them. That sudden twist for shock derails the proceedings more than it makes them dazzle.

Right from the first time we meet Ashu, it’s clear he’s not what he seems to be. No matter how much Mathew’s childlike charm and the deceptive nature of the story try to camouflage his intent, you predict the cards before they are shown to you. The tagline of the show that goes like- So fragile yet so fatal should be more than a giveaway. And the trailer does that job too. But Arora does stage some scenes effectively, like the multiple altercations between the brothers. Raina’s a brooding aura and he carries the intensity of the character well here too. Sarah Jane adds a lot of oomph to a show that’s mostly about a man who’s more than what meets the eye. And then there’s Mathew, the supposed Kankhajura, who’s actually a chameleon, a shape shifter nobody can bet on.

Many directors who lose touch and tenacity due to their absence from the industry. Chandan Arora fortunately has the aesthetics intact even when the filmmaking isn’t as engaging as it should be. Kankhajura swings between pulsating and predictable. The performances are impressive but at times you end up being one step ahead of the people who try their best to deceive your wits. It even has a tinge of humour and happens to be a harmless watch. Let’s see how active Arora will be after this show.

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)

Kankhajura is now streaming on SonyLIV