Kadak Singh follows the story of a protagonist suffering from temporary amnesia who must find a way to crack a scam case with all the facts presented by a bunch of people. But the question remains of whether he can trust these people and eventually crack the case. The story here is intriguing and almost unfolds in a ‘Rashomon’ template. This basically means that different versions are presented while centered around a same event, and every episode acts as an integral jigsaw to the overall plot. The style of storytelling is a rarity given that you run the risk of allowing the story to get convoluted. But I tend to enjoy the complexities of the tale told through different angles and perspectives, something that definitely excites me. And so, the story is exciting here although a niche given its pacing. The screenplay standing at a shade above 2 hours does make for a gripping watch with its leisurely pace adding some fine texture to the drama, apart from the ending that just fell short of greatness. 

The drama works like a giant fragmented jigsaw puzzle wherein you are first introduced to the protagonist walking with an unknown lady until being stopped by a girl. The drama cuts to a hospital setting with the protagonist now suffering from amnesia with no memory to conclude on his arrival at the hospital bed. To give him company for starters is a nurse, and a young girl who claims to be his daughter. From this point onwards, there are atleast 3 more characters who are integral to the puzzle with the twist in the tale being the protagonist himself, on whom should be place his trust on! Now, it takes you a while to understand the complexities and politics of the drama much like Aniruddha’s last work Lost, that began with the disappearance of a young activist while eventually blooming into a political thriller. And Kadak Singh is no different. 

The proceedings are intriguing but unassuming and patchy, both of which are deliberately done to allow the viewer to get a sense of the dilemma that Kadak Singh is going through with his amnesia(you even are unaware of his work until later on in the drama). The different angles to the story keep adding a piece of the puzzle to the drama which begins in the family space while soon transforming in a financial thriller or more like a whodunnit. You do get a texture of Kolkata that itself is a perfect city for staging a mystery(remember Kahaani?). But having said that, the shifting character dynamics require you to pay attention to the details that eventually have a bigger role to play in the larger scheme of things! And with every passing minute, the drama which seemed pretty straight-forward keeps getting convoluted! 

The drama picks up pace in the second hour with the focus being on the investigation following a financial scam which is underway. During this period, there are many names thrown in for the first time that add to the mystery and keep the drama afloat. It does get a tad too convoluted too with the protagonist saying, ‘Dimaag Ka Khichdi Ho Gaya’ but the writers do well in sprinkling a little humour to allow the drama a little breathing space from getting heavy. The finale is straight out of Knives Out with all characters seated in a single room with the protagonist addressing them to zero in on the culprit. Yet, the grand reveal is slightly abrupt and it just doesn’t give you that high, while the drama just falls short of greatness. You could have also approached an alternate ending to leave a doubt in the minds of the viewers which wasn’t done here. But overall, the Rashomon style of narration does work in this inherently subdued drama that does catch you unaware.