Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas
Introduction
One of the few issues that I had with the new Hindi film Bhagwat Chapter One Raakshas, was its structure. The idea of a true crime content is bound to branch into two directions. First involving a brutal tease, wherein the audience are familiarized with the motive of the crime while being introduced to the antagonist. The best instance of it lies in the Hindi film Sector 36 wherein the cold open involved the character of Vikrant Massey dragging a body into a chamber before the noise of stabs and cuts plagued the screen. It was effective in communicating the motive while creating an ambience of fear. The second is a more stereotypical plot-point (although still effective), involving an actual incident that takes place while keeping the identity of the antogonist in wrap – something that was showcased in the recently released show Search. But in Bhagwat, the idea is a hybrid of the two approaches above – one that triggers an investigation and the other involving a budding love story that unfolds. But this approach comes with a sense of caution – you cannot override the predictability of the drama, while knowing exactly where this drama is headed. That may not be a bad thing generally, and it isn’t particularly a bad thing here – the issues lies with its impact that is significantly lowered in a pseudo attempt to complicate the screenplay.
Story & Screenplay
Written by Bhavini Bheda and Sumit Saxena, the first giveaway with respect to the ambitions of the filmmaker lies in its title – Chapter One indicates the first of the many cases for inspector Vishwas Bhagwat (Arshad Warsi) who is transferred to Robertsganj in UP to investigate the case of Poonam Mishra – a young girl who has gone missing from the vicinity. Elsewhere, you are introduced to a charming young man Sameer (Jitendra Kumar), who tries to woo a local girl Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar) in Varanasi. Somewhere you do know that both these arcs will converge, and so to approach this as a whodunnit will be the first mistake that you may make. But still, I couldn’t quite overlook the predictability of the plot without giving a hint about the brutal crimes that are kept under wraps and used as a subtext. That for me remained a missed opportunity with respect to its structure, while never quite allowing the drama to spike with its (relatively) flattened narrative. In the same breath, Dahaad remained an exception given the difference in formats – that show had the luxury of world building as opposed to the broad strokes employed here.
This doesn’t mean that Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas is a complete trainwreck. There are a lot of things to like here. For instance, the characterization is that one element that keeps you decently engaged in the narrative. Bhagwat remains a no-nonsense police officer from the start, quietly holding onto a pain that eerily represents his past – ironically, also creating an ambience of redemption in the present. His tragic backstory adds fuel to his motive in the present, even as you spot him assuring the missing girl’s father on how he will crack the case in less than 15 days. It is important to note also on how idealistic Bhagwat is, almost undermining the magnanimity of the case that sees him skim through a prostitution racket while further embroiling and expanding the case to other ‘similar’ missing victims.
On the other hand, Sameer remains an interesting character too. Given that Jitendra Kumar is reprising the role, it is worth mentioning on how Sameer himself feels like a character from Kota Factory or Panchayat, immersed in a goofy but charming trait of innocent while trying to woo his ‘next’ victim (this isn’t a spoiler, the track is revealed in the trailer). And yet when you are hinted at about his motives, the same innocence and charm comes across as creepy. It is the sort of a double-edged sword that is used to mount Sameer – and I won’t lie – the character felt like an intriguing character study of a notorious criminal, using every bit of the mask to navigate the system.
It is worth mentioning on how the politics in the setting plays a vital role in the narrative too. For instance, you see a mob rage at the start of the drama being fuelled by the prevalent politics of the land. The angle remains similar to the vested interests of the characters in Ugly (2014), wanting to sensationize the event more than wanting to find the missing child. Elsewhere, politics remains synonymous to the character of Sameer, a sharp mind who is well aware of the loopholes in the system. You see him using his charm as a faux while knowing fully well on how the loopholes in the system would further aide his crimes, without the fear of getting caught. In a scene, you see him ‘threatening’ a witness, a Muslim man who was his supplier, on the pretext of how his religion is enough to turn the tables on him.
At the same time, I would be lying if I were to say that the true crime format lands beautifully. The issue lies with the meandering second hour that flirts with the idea of shifting the drama to a courtroom, while never fully commiting to that thought. It remains that in-between attempt that you would see in a film like Jolly LLB 3 (also starring Arshad Warsi), wherein the court case itself wasn’t as exciting. The dilemma is real.given how the subtext of politics and the ‘Raakshas’ thriving in the system is definitely in play. But the writing in this passage of play resembles a second session of a test match on the first day, when nothing really happens even while treading the drama in familiar territory. The POV doesn’t shift, the court proceedings don’t land while the only pattern on display is a cat and mouse game.
This is further accentuated with an ending so abrupt, that it made me wonder on whether this was a completed film in the first place. It felt like a film ending narrated by Akshay Kumar on an episode of Koffee With Karan, wherein he staged his film like a revenge drama only to end with ‘Aur Unhone Badla Liya’ – a nod to the ending here that felt not only convenient but ‘incomplete’. And no, this doesn’t have to do with ‘Chapter One’ in the title – if this franchise were to continue, Chapter Two will serve a new case. Needless to say, that a promising true crime drama was (partially) lost in translation here.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are rustic and definitely adopt the tone of the drama really well while adding a layer of authenticity to the proceedings. The music doesn’t really work in the context of the film, almost steering away from what the film actually stands for. For instance, a song in the final act not only applies breaks in the narrative but it veers into an emotional territory citing the dilemma of another character, which really wasn’t the core of the film. The BGM is decent but borders on being generic, although it does elevate the impact of a few scenes. The cinematography is really solid, and it does help once again that the film is shot in real locations – right from the smaller bylanes of UP to the bus-stands, all of which add mystery and intrigue to the proceedings. The yellow hue that accompanies the frames also allows the mindset of a true crime drama to settle in, pretty early on.
The editing pattern is a suspect here, almost reeking of the fact that this is an ‘OTT film’ wishing to be consumed as a second screen film. The patterns are taut and abrupt particularly in the second hour, as opposed to allowing the drama to thrive in the moment and register the emotions in play. The idea of rushing from one scene to another is detrimental here, given how patchy the drama looks in the second hour while not quite ringing in the impact it wished to convey. Director Akshay Shere does a decent job here, scoring with his characterization a little more than the world building, while efficiently using his setting to convey a noir drama of sorts. The issue lies in the second hour wherein the proceedings are flattened out as opposed to being elevated, and that reduces the effort into the middling category.
Performances
The performances are really good by the members of the cast. Dadhi Pandey as Poonam’s father takes you on a range of emotions from hopelessness to rage, and he does a swell job here. Akanksha Pandey as Lata Pandey uses the dialect of her character wonderfully well while making her presence felt in a number of scenes. Sandeep Yadav as Mishra and Devas Dixit as Mahto are competent while representing the plight of the police official during an investigation, accurately through their characters. Coral Bhamra as Kavita uses her expressions and body language really well to convey the insecurities and fear of her character. Rashmi Rajput as Janhavi is first rate in a character that is a touch underwritten (mostly due to the restrictions of the format here). Tara Alisha Berry as Sumitra has a charming presence and does a good job although her character was underwritten too. Ayesha Kaduskar as Meera represents her trait of naivety really well, something that later on transitions into courage. In that regard, she did have a character arc to play with, and she does a wonderful job here.
Jitendra Kumar as Sameer is phenomenal to witness here, almost borrowing the charm and sincerity of his ‘Jeetu Bhaiyya’ characters from Kota Factory and Panchayat, while slightly amping it up with his intensity. The results are creepy, and he does an astonishingly brilliant job here. Arshad Warsi as Bhagwat is understated, never spreading out of his character while being well within himself. Interestingly, even his character uses the gritty mask of toughness, while being vulnerable and partially hopeless from within. These were complex traits that landed well due to his phenomenal act here. Sadly, all these acts eventually came together in a middling film that didn’t exactly land for me.
Conclusion
Despite boasting of good performances, Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas is a promising Dahaad-coded true crime thriller that is (partially) lost in translation, particularly in the second hour, thereby making it a middling watch at best. Available on Zee5 (from 17th October ’25).