Raktanchal is a web series on MX player that revolves around the rivalry of two gangsters. It gives some serious Mirzapur vibes and boasts of good writing.
Cast Information:
Kranti Prakash Jha as Vijay Singh
Nikitin Dheer as Waseem Khan
Soundarya Sharma as Roli
Vikram Kochhar as Sanki
Ronjini Chakraborty as Seema
Chittaranjan Tripathi as Bechan
Ravi Khanvilkar as Pujari Singh
Krishna Bisht as Katta
Bhupesh Singh as Irshad
Gyan Prakash as Virendra Singh
Kenisha Awasthi as Bindu
Synopsis:
The plot is set in Purvanchal, a city of Uttar Pradesh, around the 1980s. Purvanchal, then, was notorious for its gangsters. The series shows the rivalry between two ganglords, Waseem Khan and Vijay Singh for power, land and politics. Who will ultimately win the game is the rest of the series.
Watch Trailer:
The Pros:
Raktanchal has a cleverly written storyline that will not let you get deviated for a moment. The plot is tightly woven and grasps your attention.
The acting performances are brilliant. Vijay Singh especially has done a commendable job. The supporting cast gas also put forth some memorable performances. Although there is only one principal female character, Ronjini Chakraborty puts forth a sizzling performance.
Vijay Singh’s character has the best layering in the story. His story showcases how an ordinary man enters the world of crime. His story is often shown in flashbacks and this makes the audience connect with the apparent villain of the series.
The first three episodes of the film are really gripping as they keep you guessing what is going to happen next. However, after the initial episodes, things might seem to stretch out a bit.
The Cons:
Raktanchal seems to copy multiple scenes and combat styles from the hit web series, Mirzapur. This copy and paste technique has blurred the originality of the film. Viewers of Mirzapur cannot help but compare the two series and it’s axiomatic that Mirzapur is better.
The item numbers of the series are quite annoying as well. The storyline could easily do without them. The placement of the songs disrupt the continuity of the story and fades out the tension that was developing among the main characters.
As mentioned before, the nine episodes long series tests your patience after the initial episodes. You start wondering when is all this mess going to end.
There are also too many twists to handle. Once you begin understanding one plot twist, the other comes rushing. This honestly confuses the viewers and makes the plot unnecessarily complicated.
The cuss words used in any series are meant to intensify the wrath or gravity of the characters and situation. However, Raktanchal uses a ton of these words which sounds jarring rather than intensifying. The frequent use of slangs makes a serious situation lose its gravity.
Conclusion:
Raktanchal literally is a series of gunshots and bloodshed. If you love watching politics and action, Raktanchal is a match for you. However, with shows such as Mirzapur and Sacred Games, Raktanchal seems dull with its banal characterization.
