Shehar Lakhot

Alright, let's dive into Shehar Lakhot, a Hindi neo-noir thriller directed by Navdeep Singh, the bloke behind the cult classic Manorama Six Feet Under and the gritty NH10. Singh's knack for crafting tense, atmospheric crime dramas set in India's dusty heartlands is evident, but this series doesn't quite hit the highs of his earlier work.

Set in the fictional Rajasthan town of Lakhot, this eight-episode series follows Dev (Priyanshu Painyuli), a brooding fixer dragged back to his hometown, only to get tangled in a web of crime, betrayal, and murky politics. The vibe? Think Chinatown meets Rajasthan's marble mines, with a dash of dark humour.

The cast is the real gem here. Painyuli nails Dev's shambolic charm, carrying the weight of a haunted past with ease. Chandan Roy Sanyal as the slimy Kairav Singh steals every scene, oozing menace and wit, while Kubbra Sait's tenacious cop Pallavi adds grit. Shruthy Menon and the unhinged twins (Manjiri Pupala and Sanjay Shiv Narayan) round out a stellar ensemble.

But the pacing? Oh, mate, it's a slog at times. The narrative sprawls with subplots (some gripping, others bloated) making episodes feel overstretched, especially with those hour-long runtimes. By episode five, it picks up, delivering twists that keep you hooked, but the slow-burn start tests your patience.

Visually, it's atmospheric, though Singh could've leaned harder into Rajasthan's stark beauty. The dialogue's sharp, if a tad coarse. Not Singh's finest, but Shehar Lakhot is a solid watch for neo-noir fans who don't mind a bumpy ride.

7/10.

Sometimes, the newer Indian series can be very good, especially if they tackle social issues in a changing India. This unfortunately is not in that category. The writing and narrative for the story is terrible, made worse by the ridiculous way the series is edited with never ending flashbacks that only worsen the viewer's ability to understand how it relates to the characters. There is little in the way of story continuity, character context or development. It makes the assumption that the intended audience already understands the caste system, and justice process in India, hence it really has no global appeal at all. As the series progresses, very little happens, and the plot just seems to go nowhere. Gave up after the third episode.

Anwar Says: Navdeep Singh has two accredited movies to his belt, NH 10 and Manorma Six feel under but on OTT debut , he has chosen same repetitive story , one small town , one powerful gangster , corrupt police , one protagonist , kind of true love , lot of violence and abusive language . How many times you would eat the same Biryani in different utensils . Even for keeping the interest alive the pace should be good but with myriad characters and too many stories going together , you miss the track and sometimes you feel need to rewind .

Priyanshu as Dev and Kabbra Sait as SI Pallavi played some bizarre characters but ultimately look real . The character really shines is Chandan Roy Sanyal as as Kairav , highly manipulative and fearless and everyone is bound to succumb before him. Others have also played their roles honestly . Background of Rajasthan was not exploited by the cinematographer and Navdeep couldn't resist himself and added some not so relevant songs.

Overall hardly anything new , extremely dark in every sense ( minimum use of lights), very long episodes , so watch if you have lot of time and nothing else to do.

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Do not let the negative reviews fool you into not watching this masterpiece. For those coming from dysfunctional homes, who have had aspirations and dreams in their childhood, this movie hits home hard.

There not a single flaw that I can find in the plot. The first two episodes may seem a bit of a drag but you end up realising that they were necessary to set tone and introduce characters.

Almost all actors have lived the characters they played, with the male lead and the quirky villain's side-kick Bhi, taking a leaf out of golden chops book.

The entire police, government and business nexus is shown wonderfully. Decadence in society, insecurities of the younger brother, women's dilemmas and the yearn for freedom is portrayed wonderfully in small video bites, where expressions, actings and settings say more than words can portray. The dark ambience of the entire series gives it a 'morose home town' vibe, which is apt for a plot like this.

Do not miss this for the world! It's wonderfully shot and presented, and the story and characters will stay with you for a long time after you've completed the series.

The first 3-4 episodes are very slow, they feel very dragged and it is hard to be invested as the series doesn't make it apparent as to what it is actually about. The show could have definitely been shortened. It is not super unique but definitely worth a watch. The different storylines and characters seem random at first, and there is no real crime or crisis for viewers to care about.

It gradually becomes more engaging as the real plot uncovers. The characters are quite interesting, but tragic. It's a very hopeless melancholic story but with lighthearted, real and funny moments in between which feels refreshing.