MUMBAI: Murder mysteries have been served a dime a dozen on the big screen by Indian filmmakers across languages, with way more than a few memorable ones to boot. The small screen, too, boasts a handful of great picks like Byomkesh Bakshi amongst others. Unfortunately, the newly ordained alternative to the small screen, known as OTT, has a serious dearth of good murder mystery shows, with dramas, action, and espionage thrillers mostly ruling the roost. That's where Murder in Mahim, the new web series on JIO Cinema, starring Ashutosh Rana and Vijay Raaz, comes as a breath of fresh air, and hopefully, a new dawn for the sub-genre on Indian OTT platforms.
Murder in Mahim is simultaneously a grilling serial-killer suspense thriller as much as it's a stinging social commentary on society's treatment and general outlook to the LGBTQ community. The direction and writing are pacy, layered, and pull no punches when to comes to laying on the mystery. Cue a background score that walks hand-in-hand with the series' mystery elements and you have a tailor-made recipe for a winner.
Plus, the performances back it all up, and then some. Vijay Raaz and Ashutosh Rana are undoubtedly first rate as a veteran cop and retired crime journalist, with the supporting cast lending abel support every step of the way. Unfortunately, the editing, camerawork, and production design falter at some key junctures, with the show being at least 2 episodes too long and needing some better camerawork and sets to gel with the gritty and realistic milieu.
Despite the handful of aforementioned hurdles, Murder in Mahim still makes for a highly riveting murder mystery, replete with crackling performances and layered with social commentary. Binge-watch it right now.
3.5/5 stars
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