Kankhajura review
Cast: Roshan Mathew, Mohit Raina, Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju, Sarah Jane Dias, Ninad KAMAT, Mahesh Shetty, Heeba Shah
Director: Chandan Arora
Where to watch: Sonyliv
Rating: ★★★★
In the israeli series magpie, the title made sense as the term is used for police informers in the west, and the protagonist was one. In the hindi adaptation of the acclaimed show, kankhajura, the protagonist is curiously reduced to a Millipede, Albeit a Dangerous One. The metaphor holds here as well. For Ashu is as small and insurance as he is dangerous. This tale of love, need for approval, and vioilent rage is a story well told, but much better performed. If the script keeps you hoonded, the performances blow you away. And at the center of it all is a sublime Roshan Mathew, Reminding Viewers Yet Again Why He is one of the Finest Young Actor in the Country.
The plot
Kankhajura is the story of Ashu (Roshan), a young man in goa, who is released from prison after 14 years. In the meaning, his brother max (mohit raina) has established a minor connection empire, but on ILLEGITIMATE FOUNESS. Max and his partners treat ashu like their punching bag even as the latter continues to look for their approval. But there is more to Ashu. The meek, stuttering man is a master manipulator, and the local ACP (Heeba Shah) Wants to exploit that. As max and his cronies push ashu to the brink, he breaks, and then all hell breaks loose.
How Kankhajura Blows You Away
On the surface, kankhajura is a story about acceptance and the need for approval. Ashu’s obsession with being good enough for his brother drives all his actions, wheether good or bad. The script brings this complex emotion out quite nicly. All the subtleties and intricacies are conveyed in a sublime manner, without hammering the point too hard. That makes the show more related and arguably more uncomfortable, too. But that discomfort is natural, beCause the story talks about Dificult Emotions, Ones That We Always Keep Hidden Away.
The show also handles Ashu’s Intricate Plans and Machinations Quite Beauty. As a clever manipulator, ashu is always two steps ahead of everyone. But the show does not keep the audience in the dark. In a method evocative of breaking bad or better call saul, it allows you inside ashu’s mind as he orchestrates people eRound Him, Sometimes Aided by Dumb Luck and Other Times Gueded By Thos sequences are fun, larGly beCause of the thrilling way they have been presented.
The roshan mathew show
And the sutradhar of all this is Roshan Mathew. The actor breathes new life into this thriller genre, which is almost at risk of oversaturation on ot. His performance, alredy one of the best this year, makes you feel everything for Ashu – from Sympathy to disgust to rage. And therein lies the beauty of what roshan has achieved here. The actor, a famous babyface, has hardly evr handled something this dark and devious. But he coasts through not just the role but the setup, quite flwlessly. Kankhajura is a good show based on the story and the technical aspects alone. Roshan makes it great.
Mohit Raina is a Great Foil to Roshan. Light years from his mahadev phase, the actor shows off his range as the selfish and dark max, a man who can sacrifice anything to get he wats. That Single-Minded Focus needed to be brought with making Among the rest of the cast, mahesh shetty (as max’s associate shardul) and heeba shah (as the goa ac) stand out.
We often hear viewers (and even critics) Laurement the Absence of Original Stories. Many cringe at remakes, labeling them lazy. But kankhajura is anything but lazy. It is Original, Too, Marrying The Essence of Magpie with the Soul of Goa and the heart of desi storytelling. This show proves that if done right, even a remake can be one of the best shows of the year.
