Raakshas

If not for Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar, Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas, would’ve fallen flat. The film rides almost entirely on the capable shoulders of its two leads, both of whom breathe life into a script that otherwise feels derivative and overstretched. Arshad Warsi had shed his comic image to play an upright cop in Sehar (2005), a career-defining turn that showcased his serious acting chops. Now, in Bhagwat, he returns to familiar territory, and once again proves that he has the quiet intensity and gravitas to carry such roles. As Vishwas Bhagwat, an aging, angsty officer sent on a punishment posting to a restive town in Uttar Pradesh, Warsi is utterly convincing, paunch, ponderous gait, and all. His anger simmers just beneath the surface, erupting in interrogation rooms custom-built for his particular brand of justice.

Warsi looks good in khaki. It’s a mystery why Bollywood hasn’t cast him more often as a cop since Sehar. He adds nuance to a character that might otherwise have seemed stock: the tortured officer haunted by trauma, chasing justice with clenched fists and a ticking clock.

On the other side of the equation is Jitendra Kumar, who turns in a surprisingly complex performance as Samir, a backward caste schoolteacher involved in a blossoming (and taboo) romance with an upper-caste girl Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar). Known for his affable, bumbling roles in Panchayat and Kota Factory, Kumar pulls off a welcome transformation. He oscillates effortlessly between the charm of a road-side Romeo and the desperate defiance of a man accused. Even when the film starts to wobble under the weight of its borrowed ideas, Kumar holds it together with his slippery, layered portrayal.

Unfortunately, strong performances can’t entirely mask the film’s flaws. The story, clearly inspired by real-life cases, particularly the Cyanide Mohan case from Karnataka, takes more than a few narrative cues from Dahaad, the Vijay Varma-led series about a serial killer preying on vulnerable women, which was inspired by the same killer. The parallels are almost distracting, from the socio-religious tension surrounding the case to the modus operandi of the suspect, Bhagwat often feels like a rehash. Even worse, when the antagonist begins bragging about his crimes, you’re reminded of Sector 36. The deja vu is overwhelming.

Once the mystery is solved and the culprit identified, Bhagwat loses all momentum. What follows is a courtroom climax that strains believability, particularly when Jitendra Kumar’s character suddenly begins arguing his case with the confidence and flair of a seasoned prosecutor. The sequence, trying to be too clever for its own good, ends up feeling forced, dulling the emotional and narrative impact of everything that came before it.

There are important themes, caste, communalism, police brutality, but the film only glances at them before retreating into genre tropes. The supporting cast tries, but they’re never given enough room to truly register. The romantic subplot, initially refreshing in its tenderness, soon gets buried under the procedural drama. It should be said that Ayesha Kaduskar is in fine form here and shows that Bada Naam Karenge wasn’t a one-off thing.

In the end, Bhagwat is too reliant on its leads to do the heavy lifting. Warsi and Kumar deliver, no doubt, but the film around them doesn’t rise to meet their commitment. There are sparks here, a line, a look, a moment, but not enough to ignite a truly compelling fire. We’re not sure why it’s called Bhagwat Chapter One. Is it the first of the series and Bhagwat is coming back to solve more killings? As an interesting aside, please note that Arshad Warsi had also starred in a 2003 release called Waisa Bhi Hota Hai Part II, directed by Shashanka Ghosh, which had no first part. The film is currently streaming on Zee5

Watch Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas for Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar. Endure the rest.

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