She’s a tough cop, he’s a wily predator and between them are a bunch of missing women. Amazon Prime Video’s mystery thriller series Dahaad pits Sonakshi Sinha and Vijay Varma against each other in a gripping cat-and-mouse chase. Created by Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, and directed by Kagti and Ruchika Oberoi, Dahaad is the first Indian series to have premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. Here’s how the eight-episode series kept us on tenterhooks.
The case of the missing girls, a cop and the criminal
Dahaad revolves around three officers of Mandawa police station in suburban Rajasthan, where junior sub-inspector Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) has stumbled upon a case of serial killing after a poor man from a lower caste community lies that his missing sister has eloped with a Muslim guy, to get the attention of the police.
The trail leads to the disappearance of several women of the same age and similar background; they all left their homes with some jewellery and money, and were later found dead in public toilets dressed in wedding attire.
A parallel narrative introduces Anand Swarnakar (Vijay Varma), a married college professor with a kid who teaches underprivileged children on weekends, as the man responsible for the murders. By revealing the ‘who’ part of the mystery, the stage is set for a breathless hunt to track him down.
Setting and landscape
Set in the desert landscape of Rajasthan, Dahaad delves into issues of caste discrimination, dowry and degradation of women carried on even to this day by a patriarchal society. From the outset, the show focuses on the power dynamics at play — when a man from a lower caste visits the police station to enquire about his sister who’s been missing for two months, a constable from a higher caste asks him to leave the room, then lights incense sticks to purify the space and advises him to go home.
The vast wastelands and picturesque dunes make for a brilliant setting for unlawful activities. Netflix’s Thar and Disney+Hotstar’s Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo too used this landscape as settings for their crime thrillers, but the creators of Dahaad and cinematographer Tanay Satam mostly stay away from the usual tropes.
The crime takes place in suburban areas rather than desert villages. Anand targets women from lower castes and low-income households who are seen by their families as a burden since they can’t be married off because of dowry demands that are bey0nd their means.
Sonakshi Sinha’s no-nonsense cop on a mission
Sonakshi Sinha as Anjali Bhaati in Dahaad Twitter
When we first meet Sonakshi Sinha as junior SI Anjali Bhaati, she is in the middle of a judo combat with a man, which she finally wins. The scene establishes Anjali as one who’s capable of taking on a diabolical mind like Anand Swarnakar, yet she is not beyond the discrimination that his victims were subjected to. Anjali’s real surname is Meghwal, which makes her a victim of caste discrimination alongside the constant sexism she has to face in her male-dominated field of work. She also has to deal with her mother’s constant efforts to get her married off. But Anjali has toughened up and earned the respect of her colleagues, who address her as ‘Bhaati saab’.
Sonakshi, who surprised us with a measured performance in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera (2013), is in fine form in Dahaad. Her body language underlines Anjali’s nuanced understanding of the situation and drive to catch the killer. And Sonakshi’s Rajasthani accent is also consistent throughout the show.
Vijay Varma is a worthy antagonist
Vijay Varma as Anand Swarnakar in Dahaad Twitter
If he had kept you on the edge with his unpredictable violent nature as Hamza in the Netflix film Darlings, Vijay Varma sends a chill down the spine as Anand Swarnakar in Dahaad.
There is a serpent-like quality to his character who lures women into a trap by promising them a life of love and then convinces them to take a contraceptive pill laced with cyanide. At the same time, you see Anand leading a regular family life with his wife and kid; his jealousy towards his brother and his intense hate for his father.
To Vijay’s credit, Anand is almost likable in spite of the violence, which makes it even more unsettling. Here is an ordinary man — a professor with a lazy eye, the man on the bus stop who offered you a lift, that stranger on the internet who was kind to you. He understands how to weaponise everyday acts and common gestures to become a credible sexual predator.
The supporting cast of Gulshan Devaiah, Sohum Shah and Zoa Morani
Gulshan Devaiah as SHO Devi Lal Singh in Dahaad Twitter
The two lead actors apart, Dahaad has a brilliant supporting cast. Gulshan Devaiah as Station House Officer is Devi Lal Singh, an honest cop who has been posted in Mandawa for not cooperating with the corrupt system. He’s a loving father, a not-very-nice husband who despises his wife for her ‘backward’ thinking and has a soft spot for Anjali. His chemistry with Sonakshi Sinha shines through.
The third in the trio is Kailash Parghi (played by Sohum Shah), a sub-inspector who has been transferred to Mandawa for taking bribes. Parghi wants to get a promotion and is working as the eyes and ears of the superintendent of police (Rajiv Kumar). Parghi starts off as a corrupt cop whose jealous relationship with Anjali slowly transforms into camaraderie.
In her brief screen time as Anand’s wife Vandana, Zoa Morani makes a lasting impact. A heritage hotel manager who is having an affair with her colleague, Vandana wants to get out of her marriage but takes Anand to be a good man. It is only when her lover is murdered that she discovers the other side of Anand.
