Chilling drama

Rating:

Hes an influential man in Ghaziabad. Politicians,police and everyone else are in his pocket. The name is Thakraal,a family man at home, who doesnt like to take No for an answer,can cold-bloodedly bump off anyone who comes in his way,a saint for people at large but a wolf in a goats skin.

She is Rachana,an upcoming badminton player,aiming to make her country proud. A motherless child,she lives with her father and younger brother and is thick with her cousin-cum-confidante,Anu.

Trouble begins for Rachana the day Thakraal casts his buri nazar on her. He starts with casual handshakes when he is at her school to hand her a trophy followed by an increasing interest in her life and career,sending flowers and bringing gifts for her,visiting her at her house etc to the extent that one day under the pretext of having her train in a badminton coaching camp,he takes her and Anu to Delhi and molests her.

The girl is shaken to the bone and barely manages to escape from his clutches.

Loosely inspired by the Ruchika Girhotra and DGP case,Kaali is about the classic good versus evil battle. Its here that Rachana has to stand up against an unscrupulous man who has scarred her and also threatened to destroy her and her loved ones lest she opens her mouth.

The initial episodes have established the fact that no one dares cross Thakraals path. The show is gripping and fast-paced. There is never a dull moment especially when Thakraal is around. The makers waste no time in introducing various facets of his personality whether it is his romance with his lovely wife,his role as a doting yet disciplined father and as a troubleshooter who solves problems in a jiffy even if it means shooting a girl point-blank.

On the other hand,Rachana is a responsible,chirpy girl who is yet to face the harsh realities of outside world. In the absence of her mother,she shares her responsibilities with her father,is a loving sister and believes in standing up for what is right.

The downside: how can a father allow his daughter to go out of town even if she is going with a friend to a camp without a family member or a guardian especially when he is aware of the rising incidence of molestations and rapes occurring in his town? Maybe,men are just not instinctive enough to sense the dangers lurking ahead compared to women! Also,considering the issue being dealt here is so rampant,why push it at an 11 pm slot? It deserves a better slot for sure! But then we guess,Kaali is definitely not something one can watch while chopping onions!

The biggest strength of the show is Ashutosh Rana as Thakraal. Yes,we have seen him earlier in all his wicked glory in films but as the evil guy with a roving eye,Ashutosh makes Thakraal so much his own,that every time he appears on scene,you feel uneasy,edgy. The tension never goes away. He deftly brings about the myriad shades in his character. He is easily the best part of the show. Swati Kapoor as Rachana is very delicate but has the right amount of fun and spirit. The scene in which she breaks down in front of her father was achingly beautiful. She clearly has acting in her. Sonali Kulkarni as the dead mother who is also the narrator of the show sticks out. Though she tries to infuse her lines with the requisite drama and a mothers concern,it doesnt fit in. Last but not the least,Arif Zakaria as the father doesnt twitch a facial muscle and speaks his lines with a hint of monotonous indifference!

All said and done,Kaali is worth every minute spent in front of the TV set. That it also handles a delicate issue is a huge plus.

Verdict: Watch it…you may just want to protect your child a little more!