The Indian recreation of the hit British detective series "Luther" (2010-19) stays perhaps too true to the source material, offering nothing new or intriguing to fans of the original show. Ajay Devgn is perfectly cast in the role immortalized by Idris Elba, as a mercurial but brutish and fractious detective who doesn't necessarily go by rulebook when it comes to his investigations.
As an officer of Mumbai's Special Crimes Unit, the initial episodes feature "Rudra" in a police procedural format, with each episode throwing up a different vicious predator for him to hunt down. The casting deserves praise with Raashi Khanna the standout among a stellar set of antagonists. Director Rajesh Mapuskar has adapted the narrative of "Luther" exceedingly well, with none of the protagonists' motivations or circumstances feeling forced or contrived and capturing the "greyness" that made the original series such a cult favourite.
Ashwini Kalsekar and the ever-dependable Anil Kulkarni put in marvellous displays as Devgn's supporting officers and the British capers of the original series are Indianized convincingly and with excellent production quality. Esha Deol who plays Devgn's estranged wife is perhaps the show's weakest link. In a role that needed to be impactful despite the short screen time, the actress, unfortunately, remains nondescript and downright cringe-worthy in her sequences, in a performance that reminds you of why she took a break from Bollywood in the first place.
Devgn is clearly at ease in investigative thrillers, with his gritty performance in the iconic "Gangaajal" (2003) being one of my favourite cop dramas ever. Here, he is asked to be almost the polar opposite of what we are used to in his "Singham" franchise of films - surgical, methodical and cerebral with his investigations rather than falling back on brute force. But the seasoned actor switches gears without breaking a sweat, delivering a performance worthy of the iconic original show.
Definitely recommended for people who have not watched "Luther". For those who have, catch it for ¬a splendid acting performance from Devgn who is finally given a non-superficial cop character to flesh out and show his immense range in.
