After Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, Neeraj Pandey has opened the Bengal chapter. With much talk after the trailer release of Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, the Netflix series was anticipated to be interesting. When it comes to Neeraj Pandey, there is hope that the content will be strong and the story to be crisp and thrilling. However, the filmmaker has disappointed fans with his past few releases like Auron Mein Khan Dum Tha and Sikandar Ka Muqaddar. His brand may have weakened in recent times, but a good filmmaker is the one who keeps trying to do something new and better. And Neeraj has successfully pulled that off with Bengal Chapter a creator. Featuring several Bengali actors like Jeet, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Saswata Chatterjee and Ritwik Bhowmik leading roles, the series is not based on true events like Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, but the series draws inspiration from Neeraj Pandey's own experiences in Kolkata. The story is intertwined with his personal ties to the city.
Story
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter begins with Bagha Da played by Saswata Chatterjee and his claim to the throne. Later audiences are introduced to IPS officer Saptarshi played by Parambrata Chattopadhyay, who looks forward to cleaning the air of Bengal quite literally. However, his early death shocks and awakens the city of joy to reality. At the same time, we see how politics and crime go hand in hand, because while a new police offer lands in to take over the case, a leader of Bengal Barun Das played by Prosenjit Chatterjee is introduced, who uses different criminals and runs his politics. An honest policeman Arjun Maitra played by Jeet, who is known for his straightforward and daring ways, locks horns with the politician and his strong puppets- calculative Sagor Talukdar played by Ritwik Bhowmik and impulsive Ranjit Thakur played by Aadil Khan.
Direction and writing
Debatma Mandal and Tushar Kanti Ray have directed Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, while Neeraj Pandey, Debatma and Samrat Chakraborty have written the series, and probably there's where the problem lies. The show's plot and screenplay are predictable, but its directing, cinematography, and stellar cast are what really make the series stand out. Every character has been portrayed well as they all have been given a fair chance to present their stories. However, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is a bit rough around the edges and has a lot of loose ends, but again! The cast performances and general plot keep you interested. Given how effortlessly the final criminal was apprehended by police officer Arjun Maitra, the climax seemed a touch lacklustre in comparison to the rest of the show. The music and background scores are a bit dramatic but Jeet Ganguly should be credited for formulating an interesting title track. Yes! 'Ayiyena Humra Bihar Mein' is irreplaceable but 'Ek Aur Rang Bhi Dekhiye Bengal Ka' is also fun
Acting
The soul of this series is its actors and their credible performances. Leading from the front is Bengali actor Jeet, who is marking his Hindi debut with this series. The actor has done a tremendous job. Despite overdoing it in places, his heroism is fun to watch. While we have watched Singham and Dabbang as exaggerated cops, Jeet in Khakee is a breath of fresh air. He can even remind you of Ajay Devgn from Prakash Jha's Gangajal as there is maturity in his acting which was necessary for that character. On the other hand, Prosenjit Chatterjee looks great in the role of a corrupt political leader. His demeanour and calmness in chaos are applaud-worthy.
Ritwik Bhowmik has done a great job as Sagor. While his Bandish Bandits fans will be surprised to see him in such a role, Jehanabad - Of Love and War fans will be happy to witness such wildness from the OTT actor. Adil Zafar Khan has also given a tremendous performance. Despite the presence of Jeet and Prosenjit, both of them have made their presence felt. Saswata Chatterjee is as usual good but Chitrangada Singh is just fine. Parambrata Chattopadhyay and Saswata have small but impactful roles.
Khakee: The Bengal Chapter series is good, but the story is not new. We have way too many times seen a lot of politics and crime combo. However, the Bengali ground in the series and be new for some. The action is good but slow-mo sequences can annoy you. The series is filled with fresh and lesser-seen faces. But, despite being predictable, the series keeps you hooked and the twists keep you invested. Deserving of 3 out of 5 stars, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter is out now on Netflix.
