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Slow burn on the banality of evil is fodder for nightmares
Raakh review: Akash Makhija, Aamir Bashir knock the wind out of you in impactful slow burn on the banality of evil
Raakh review: Akash Makhija, Aamir Bashir knock the wind out of you in impactful slow burn on the banality of evil
Raakh review: A fictionalised take on the Ranga-Billa case, this thriller starring Ali Fazal gets a lot right.
Jun 12, 2026, 14:01:22 IST By Abhimanyu Mathur Prefer HTon Google Share via Copy linkRaakh
Creators: Anusha Nandakumar, Sandeep Saket, Prosit Roy
Cast: Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bashir, Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Anshul Chauhan, Rakesh Bedi, Divya Sharma, and Vivaan Sharma
Rating: ★★★⯪
It is a daunting prospect to create drama from tragedy in today’s time. The proliferation of OTT services has exposed Indian viewers to quality shows and films from around the world. In a bid to fight that edge from across the seas, Indian makers have often resorted to gore and violence, further desensitising the audiences. For a show to shake the viewer in today’s time takes work, both from the writers and the actors. That Raakh manages that is a feat in itself. That it does so without resorting to graphic brutality or discarding sensitivity needs to be applauded. The show is by no means perfect. It takes its sweet time getting to the point, prolonging the slowness of the slow-burning to a point where it is painstakingly slow. And yet, it manages to deliver a payoff that is both shocking and emotional. Raakh review: Akash Makhija in a still from the show.What is Raakh about?
Loosely inspired by the Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra murder, Raakh tells the story of the murder of two teenagers - siblings Suman and Sahil Arora. It is the Delhi of 1978, a safe city, where kids can go to the radio station alone, ask for a lift from strangers and not worry. But that changes when two men - Rajjo (Ramandeep Yadav) and Babu (Akash Makhija) - decide to let their perverseness get the better of them. The siblings’ death shocks the nation, shattering their parents (Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir). And it is up to SI Jayparakash to race against time and hunt the two killers. Parallelly, we see how the two men came to Delhi and the trail of blood they left in their wake across cities, ruining lives and destroying families. Movie Review Raakh 3.5/5 Thriller Raakh follows the investigation into the murder of two teens in Delhi in 1978, and also explores the depraved minds of the two killers. Cast Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bashir, Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Anshul Chauhan, Rakesh Bedi, Divya Sharma, and Vivaan Sharma Verdict A slowburn thriller, Raakh takes its time in setting things up, but once it does, it delivers a solid payoff, aided by sublime performances.Putting the slow in slow-burn
Raakh tests your patience, to start with. In its eight-episode arc, the first two episodes take ample time to establish the premise, introduce the characters, and set the stage for the mayhem that follows. But all that follows some predictable beats. The Indian streaming shows have developed a template, at least the thrillers, in how cops will be presented (troubled with parental pressure or a complex romantic relationship) and how menacing villains will be treated (bloodthirsty with no remorse and an evil grin). Sadly, Raakh uses those tropes too. Thankfully, where it differs is how it presents the victims, both the ones that lose their lives and the ones that remain. Raakh infuses humanity into the Aroras, led by splendid performances from Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir, and surprisingly mature acts from the young actors Divya and Vivaan. It allows the viewer to feel for them and even (foolishly) root for them. That allows the contrast of the killers’ depravity to be that much stronger.The ‘insane’ villain conundrum
Another thing the OTT boom in India has done is bring to the fore so many maniacal villains. Over the years, in shows based on serial killers and rapists, we have seen countless of these. Every permutation and combination has been done before - be it the cold, methodical criminal or the unhinged psychotic killer. Therein lies the challenge before Raakh - how do you make your monsters stand out? Ranga and Billa were the archetypes for the kind of monsters we see on our TV screens today. Rajjo and Babu draw inspiration from them, but thankfully, the writers go beyond just what was real. They depict a co-dependent, toxic relationship where neither is worse than the other and neither is safer. Almost like symbiotes, the two feed off each other, reminding the audience of why temperance is so necessary in volatile minds. Raakh deals with a sensitive issue. The assault and murder of two minors. It dedicates a sequence to depicting the crime. Trigger warning: It gets brutal. But credit to the makers, it never gets graphic. The viewer does not feel like a voyuer here. Rather, it is meant to show how ruthless these two men are, that they will ignore the pleas of two teenagers. For once, I was convinced that depicting a crime against minors was necessary, and perhaps, this was the only way it could have been done. Even a polished filmmaker like Vikramaditya Motwane did not get it right when he dealt with the Ranga Billa episode in his show Black Warrant. But Raakh does get it right. Aamir Bashir and Sonali Bendre's depiction of grief is sublime.Exemplary performances
The performances elevate Raakh from just being a decent watch to something more. Ali Fazal, as always, is on the money. He has nailed down playing shifty, underconfident men who find power and purpose from their work. As SI Jayprakash, he delivers yet another measured performance. Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir portray grief in the most diverse yet equally heartbreaking ways I have seen on screen. Sonali depicts the denial in grief in an understated manner. There are no histrionics, almost no tears, even. Yet, through her silent stares, she is able to convey what the audience feels for her. And then there is Aamir Bashir delivering arguably the performance of his career. He channels the helplessness of a father, allowing him to weep and sob, but away from prying eyes. The blend of rage and grief he displays in many shots is sublime. Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav are the true stars of the show for me. They had the daunting task of playing two complex, evil men without making them even a bit sympathetic and without ever going off the top. Somehow, they manage that. Ramandeep, in particular, captures the nuance of presenting Rajjo as the victim he believes he is, without ever letting the audience believe it. And Akash is splendid. It is easy to find parallels between what has already been done when playing a psychotic madman. But Akash manages to make Babu his own, conveying through his eyes menace in a way that few have. I do have a bone to pick with Raakh’s handling of its female characters, though. Even as it gives both Sonali and young Divya (who plays one of the murdered children) a lot to do, it raises Aamir Bashir’s character. Similarly, Anshul Chauhan, who plays a journalist investigating the case, is reduced to being a placeholder in many scenes. The men call the shots and get the meaty scenes more often than not.A heaviness that stays with you
Raakh is not for bingeing. It is not for snack-sized consumption. It is meant to be experienced. It is Test cricket in the age of T20, a piece of art that demands your time and undivided attention. It leaves you with heaviness and questions about the unfairness in the world. But it also poses the same question Hannah Arendt posed in her 1963 book, Eichmann in Jerusalem - is evil truly banal? Raakh is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abhimanyu Mathur Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More Sonali Bendre Ali Fazal Get World Cup ready with Crick-it! From live scores to match stats, catch all the action here. Explore now!.Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times. Home/Entertainment/Web Series/Raakh Review: Akash Makhija, Aamir Bashir Knock The Wind Out Of You In Impactful Slow Burn On The Banality Of Evil See Less
Thankfully, where it differs is how it presents the victims, both the ones that lose their lives and the ones that remain. Raakh infuses humanity into the Aroras, led by splendid performances from Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir, and surprisingly mature acts from the young actors Divya and Vivaan. It allows the viewer to feel for them and even (foolishly) root for them. That allows the contrast of the killers’ depravity to be that much stronger.
Raakh deals with a sensitive issue. The assault and murder of two minors. It dedicates a sequence to depicting the crime. Trigger warning: It gets brutal. But credit to the makers, it never gets graphic. The viewer does not feel like a voyuer here. Rather, it is meant to show how ruthless these two men are, that they will ignore the pleas of two teenagers. For once, I was convinced that depicting a crime against minors was necessary, and perhaps, this was the only way it could have been done. Even a polished filmmaker like Vikramaditya Motwane did not get it right when he dealt with the Ranga Billa episode in his show Black Warrant. But Raakh does get it right.
Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav are the true stars of the show for me. They had the daunting task of playing two complex, evil men without making them even a bit sympathetic and without ever going off the top. Somehow, they manage that. Ramandeep, in particular, captures the nuance of presenting Rajjo as the victim he believes he is, without ever letting the audience believe it. And Akash is splendid. It is easy to find parallels between what has already been done when playing a psychotic madman. But Akash manages to make Babu his own, conveying through his eyes menace in a way that few have.
I do have a bone to pick with Raakh’s handling of its female characters, though. Even as it gives both Sonali and young Divya (who plays one of the murdered children) a lot to do, it raises Aamir Bashir’s character. Similarly, Anshul Chauhan, who plays a journalist investigating the case, is reduced to being a placeholder in many scenes. The men call the shots and get the meaty scenes more often than not.
Raakh is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Source: HindustanTimes
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