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Rudra Web Series Review: Ajay Devgn roars in this crime thriller as a no-nonsense cop
The pacing is a little slow, with various sub-tracks driving the viewers away from the core, but yet, the premise has enough meat in it to hold attention.
Title: Rudra: The Edge of Darkness
Director: Rajesh Mapuskar
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Raashii Khanna, Esha Deol, Atul Kulkarni, Ashwini Kalsekar
Platform: Disney+Hotstar
Review by: Himesh Mankad
Ajay Devgn makes his digital debut with Rudra, the Indian adaptation of international series, Luther, with Rajesh Mapuskar as the director. It revolves around how a cop, suspended for breach of conduct, is back in the police force to uncover multiple twisted crimes happening in Mumbai. He has his own way of functioning, which brings in the element of thrill in the narrative.
The investigative thriller starts well with Rajesh Mapuskar taking no time to get into the business. Right from the beginning, you are drawn into this dark world of crime and drama, wherein the cops face their demons to safeguard the city. The tone of the series is set from the word go, and one is invested to see the approach taken by Rudra to resolve the conflicts. While the screenplay format is episodic, with a new case in every episode, there’s a common thread that runs all through the episodes to hold the grip over all characters and their backstories.
The pacing is a little slow, with various sub-tracks driving the viewers away from the core, but yet, the premise has enough meat in it to hold attention. The pace dips from the middle of the first episode with ample time put in to showcase the emotions, and there is a crime scene in the second episode that’s resolved in no time making you wonder about the reason for the entire build-up through the episode. But these are minor flaws, as the larger picture in the writing front is gripping.
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The dialogues are solid, with Ajay Devgn getting to mouth some of the most heroic one-liners and he is effortless in delivering them. What separates Rudra from the rest of the series also lies in the fact that it’s devoid of abuses and vulgar content that most of the web series have in abundance. The cinematography is dark, which is in sync with the world that the director has created for the series. Though one has seen Mumbai in multiple feature films, the series explores a different side of the Maximum city.
Talking of performances, Rudra is an out and out Ajay Devgn show. Despite playing a cop in multiple feature films, Ajay brings in a new dimension to this Rudra – who walks with an inherent amount of swag and delivers those one-liners with utmost conviction. There isn’t anyone who can deliver dialogues the way Devgn does. There is so much swag in his dialogue delivery, body language and the best part is, he is equally casual in it. Raashii Khanna makes her Hindi debut with a rather complex character of Dr Aliyah Choksi, which requires an element of madness to it. She puts in the effort and stands confidently alongside Ajay. Ashwini Kalsekar takes a break from being a comic supporter to Ajay in the Golmaal Franchise and surprises with a restrained performance. Atul Kulkarni is reliable as always, and we wish he had more scenes with Ajay through the narrative. Esha Deol is decent, whereas the rest of the cast lend the necessary support.
All said and done, Rudra is a good debut for Ajay Devgn on OTT, that has ample dramatic moments laced with adequate thrill. You are gripped into this world from the first episode. There are some flaws with regards to the way in which the crimes are busted by the hero, but well, that suspension of belief is required in all forms of entertainment. All said and done, this series is worth-a-dekho and why not? After all, it’s Ajay Devgn’s digital debut.
Note: The review is based on the first three episodes of Rudra.
ALSO READ: Atul Kulkarni on working with Ajay Devgn in Rudra after 22 years: It was a fantastic experience
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