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‘Gunehgaar’, ‘The Fame Game‘, ‘Mithya’, ‘Suzhal: The Vortex’ and ‘Delhi Crime-2’ were some of the most engrossing slow-burners of the year.
Long format, procedural as well dramatic shows and teleplays added tothe diverse viewing experience of audiences. That too on the small screen in 2022.
They brought along with them ample thrills, chills, and psychological intrigue. Here is our pick of the best, immersive entertainers from this lot.
Gunehgar
This Zee Theatre presentation is a psychological-suspense thriller. Directed by Akarsh Khurana. The teleplay strikes the right note right from the start when veteran Gajraj Rao’s character Mr. Bansal invites a well-known investigative journalist Mrinalini (Shweta Basu Prasad) to his home. It is to offer her a scoop and initiates a cat and mouse game.
As their conversation begins to flow, we realise that there may be some hidden agenda behind this innocuous invitation. Soon the duo is joined by Om. A cop (Sumeet Vyas) and Bansal begin to peel layers from a long-buried secret that connects the three. The plot unravels and leads to a shocking conclusion that takes everyone by surprise.
‘Gunehgaar’ is available on Tata Theatre Play as well as Airtel Theatre, D2H, Rangmanch, and Dish.
The Fame Game
You may argue that the series that heralded Madhuri Dixit Nene in the OTT space. And frittered away its potential at the end but a second season may just redeem it.
Yet, for the most part, this show was a perfect blend of drama, emotional heft, mystery, psychological layers, and histrionics with Dixit demonstrating why she is still considered one of the best actors to grace the silver screen.
A moving performance by Manav Kaul, strong turns by Sanjay Kapoor, Suhasini Mulay, Lakshvir Saran, and Muskkaan, and the story of a fading superstar whose career and family are on the brink of falling apart made ‘The Fame Game’ a compelling watch.
The series was directed by Bejoy Nambiar and Karishma Kohli and is streaming on Netflix.
Suzhal: The Vortex
Much before the Kannada superhit ‘Kantara’ delved into local mythology. This Tamil- crime thriller on Amazon Prime immersed us in the ritualistic fervour of a festival called ‘Mayana Kollai’.
The primal energy of the festival is the backdrop of a tragedy that rocks the fictional town of Saambaloor in Tamil Nadu.
The series is a procedural investigation into the mystery of a missing girl which culminates in a cathartic explosion of anger, grief, and revenge.
The series stars actors R. Parthiban, Kathir, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Sriya Reddy and is directed by Bramma G and Anucharan Murugaiyan.
Nithya
This ZEE5 psychological thriller directed by Rohan Sippy is an adaptation of the 2019 British series ‘Cheat’ which starred Katherine Kelly and Molly Windsor and stars Huma Qureshi and Avantika Dassani.
Set in Darjeeling, the six-part series delineates a psychological game between a Hindi literature professor Juhi (Qureshi), and her troubled student Rhea (Dassani).
A row that erupts over a plagiarism charge leads to events that nobody could have expected and a murder takes the tension to a boiling point.
Delhi Crime 2
The magnificent Shefali Shah returns as DCP Vartika Chaturvedi who is still battling a flawed system, corruption, and many challenges while trying to solve a series of murders in the capital. She is ably supported by Rasika Dugal and there is Tillotama Shome in a blood-chilling role.
The ensemble cast featuring Aakash Dahiya, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Denzil Smith, Yashaswini Dayama, and Avijit Dutt is stellar too. The series asks relevant questions about the gnawing economic disparity in society which can lead to festering resentment and also a crime. The series is directed by Tanuj Chopra and is playing on Netflix.
