Afwaah follows the story of thr lives of a bunch of characters being impacted following a rumour which is spread on social media. The story here is relevant, gritty and hard-hitting, and something that needed to be told. In times of social media with opinions being pouring in across the country and the globe, the relevance of researching about the topic does become all the more important. While lies can spread like wild fire, truth requires time and patience. And it is the contrast here between two aspects of life, both on opposite sides of a spectrum, that is encompassed in Afwaah. The screenplay standing at about 120 odd minutes does make for a thrilling ride laced with rumour mongering political undertones.

The drama does open without any context or pre-programmed baggage related to any characters. A simple rumour around the selling of beef(based on a true incident) triggers a riot-like situation that does result in the loss of lives of a few innocent people. It is this premise that acts as an alarming bell for the rest of the drama to follow. Yet, the writers do not restrict the conflict solely to this incident that only triggers a subplot highlighting the fact that there are no friends or enemies in politics. It is just the survival of the fittest. Soon, you are introduced to the principal characters, each with different traits and ideologies, whose lives get entangled following and incident. And that is what forms the crux of the story.

The proceedings are engrossing and intriguing despite the limitation of the timeline. The dramas which generally unfold across a single night are tricky to execute given how easy it is for them to be repetitive. But the writing here is sharp with an even sharper note on the current times that we live in. The ability of an authority to easily spread rumours in the form of lies across social media is what the drama looks to expose. The politics related to religion, caste and stature is played out in the second layer and that does make for an immersive watch. The situations created are thrilling with multiple characters being on the run and that was something that did hold my attention throughout.

The writers do well in slowly merging the worlds together moments before the final act. The contrast in the use of social media is also showcased particularly in the events leading up to the final act. There are a few detours thrown in the narrative that escalate the ever rising tensions to simmering heights. The final act when all hell breaks loose, featuring different character motives is quite satisfying to watch and it certainly does make for a compelling watch. A few metophors unfold during the rolling end credits that make you pause and ponder on the various social issues which are still prevalent in the society. Overall, the screenplay here is really well penned and makes for an intriguing watch.