Chamak The Conclusion takes off from the same point wherein season one (or part one, take your pick) had ended. Up until then, the character of Kaala was largely lost in the labyrinth of lies and drugs while oscillating between being a victim and contributor to the big bad world of the Punjabi Music Industry. At the helm of things is Pratap (Manoj Pahwa), the head of the music label Teeja Sur who initially is shown to take an initiative to not only free Kaala from the law but also make him a star singer by giving him a contract. And so, much of the dynamics that defines the fabric of storytelling here is between Kaala and Pratap, even as the former becomes all the more focused in unraveling the mystery. This hardly comes as a surprise given how an early reveal (in the second part) turns his suspicion into a game of revenge for Kaala. The temptation is there to avenge the death of his parents with a single shot, something that he also witness in a studio recording sequence, but the ultimate revenge is a layered one.

One of the underlying themes in the drama is that of politics that defines the dynamics between some of the other characters as well. For instance, the friction of politics drastically shifts the dynamics between Pratap and Baldev (Hobby Dhaliwal), an existing MP who vies for a bigger stake in his political game. Meanwhile, there is also a push on the revenge angle featuring Kaala who has a tryst with the underworld by employing goons to bump off a particular character. Simultaneously, another plot-point involves a parallel investigation that transpires at the hands of a local journalist that threatens to further complicate the dynamics in this revenge plot. It is safe to say that the information provided here is dense, and needs an unwavering focus to comprehend and tie up the lose ends together.

At the heart of it, the characterization shines in the show as well. Even as Pratap is essentially being viewed as a shrewd head-honcho of a music label from the gaze of Kaala, who has distanced himself from the two girls in his life Jazz (Isha Talwar), and Lata (Akasa Singh), making revenge is only goal, it is the characters of Pratap’s children that make an impression too. Jai (Dhanveer Singh) is a character who is basically only interested in his father’s property, often vying the throne which would be left by his father. Naaz (Ankita Goraya) has to live with her fate of being a failed singer, someone who wasn’t launched even by her own father. But most interestingly, you have Guru (Mohit Malik), dealing with an identity crisis of his own in terms of his sexuality, while undergoing a metamorphosis to almost pretend to exhibit masculine traits. In a scene, you see him slapping a character across his face, in another, blackmailing a character after murdering a third, you understand the pressures that his character goes through to prove himself to be ‘a man’. Ironically, he is also the most responsible, showcasing his empathetic side towards his younger sister at a crucial moment in the drama.

Being a revenge plot at its heart, there are twists and turns that unfold like layers in the drama. There is a deconstructed flashback that tactfully pieces the parts of the jigsaw puzzle leading to the ultimate incident. However, I did feel that the impact of that flashback was significantly overshadowed by a more pronounced revenge subplot that often keeps you on the edge of your seat. This minor criticism also extends to some of the minor twists in the revenge saga that are swift to the point of being miscomprehended. Yet, there are genuine moments when the writers choose to raise the stakes in the game with underlying themes of double-cross and betrayal ruling the roosts. But this isn’t just about a broader stroke of revenge that you witness – there is intrinsic detailing with respect to a subplot involving a potential business deal while exploiting the rivalry between music labels (and there is a hierarchy in play too), that makes for an intriguing watch.

The turn of fate that transpires at the end leading to a shocking double twist, even while the revenge game is in play, has got to be one of the most interesting parts of the show. However, the blame shifts more to the OTT for labelling this part as Chamak The Conclusion, even as there are far too many loose ends (despite the reveal) that could possibly take the story forward. To give you a perspective, the entire show seemed like a single season chopped into two, with no real intentions of continuing by the OTT platform (why else would they label it as a ‘Conclusion’). And this is unfortunate, because the show did not necessarily follow the beats of an algorithm while having a searing storyline that was layered and reeking of freshness! But it is what it is, in an otherwise screenplay that is quite well written.