CAST: Gulshan Devaiah, Dhrashti Dhami, Amit Sadh

DIRECTOR: Rohan Sippy

RATING:  ***

The inaugural season of Duranga on ZEE5 captivated audiences with its compelling narrative about a man on the run, who is also married to a police officer, suddenly having his past resurface. This adaptation of the Korean drama Flower of Evil was helmed by the late Pradeep Sarkar and Aijaz Khan.

In the story, Abhishek, portrayed by Gulshan Devaiah, is the offspring of the unhinged serial murderer Bala Banne, played by Zakir Hussain. Abhishek flees a coastal village and is given a new identity by Dr. Manohar Patel (Rajesh Khattar) and his spouse Anuprya (Divya Seth Shah). They bestow upon him the identity of their comatose son Sammit, played by Amit Sadh, who is kept out of sight. The astonishing rationale behind this elaborate ruse is unraveled in the sequel, Duranga 2.

The original Korean Show ” Flower of Evil” was aired in 2020 and in it’s 16 episodes, starring Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won; told the story of Baek Hee Sung, who seemed like the perfect husband and father.  But he hides a dark secret from his past.  His father, Do Min Seok was a cruel serial killer and Hee Sung himself is wanted for murder.  He has lived with another man’s identity for years without anyone finding out.  Hee Sung’s wife, Cha Ji Won, is a violent crimes detective who knows nothing about his past.  When her team is charged with reinvestigating Do Min Seok’s murders and locating his son, she has no idea the trail will lead to her own family.

In the Indian adaptation, in the role of the brooding Sammit, a metal sculptor by trade, Abhishek ties the knot with Ira, played by Drashti Dhami. ( Duranga Season1 Review here ) Ira is portrayed as a highly competent police officer who remains oblivious to the unusual activities transpiring within her own home. The couple has a daughter, Anya, enacted by Hera Mishra, who faces bullying from her schoolmates in season 2 because her dad works from home—a curious point, given the post-coronavirus context.

The series’ previous season concluded with a twist: the real Sammit regains consciousness from his coma. In the latest season, produced by Goldie Behl, directed by Rohan Sippy, and penned by Charudutt Acharya, the willing suspension of disbelief previously established spirals out of control.

Making a comeback in the series are recurring characters like TV journalist Vikas, portrayed by Abhijeet Khandekar. Despite sustaining severe injuries from Abhishek in the prior season, Vikas appears all too keen to assist in locating Bala Banne’s accomplice and exonerating Abhishek.

He apparently has no more pressing matters at hand, much like the police force that seems fixated on resolving a long-forgotten cold case. Additional returning characters include Abhishek’s mysterious sister Prachi, played by Barkha Bisht, and Ira’s steadfast coworker, Nikhil, enacted by Kiran Srinivas, both of whom spend their time looking perplexed.

Abhishek becomes anxious when Sammit forms a friendship with Anya while posing as a professor. Remarkably, Sammit quickly masters the necessary computer skills to fabricate a bogus identity.

Though this series aims to adapt an undoubtedly epic original, it falls short in its execution. The storyline is unnecessarily prolonged across seven episodes, albeit with the saving grace of each episode lasting just 30 minutes. The suspense factor is minimal, as the audience is already aware of who the accomplice is—and this character proves to be more adept and swift than anyone on his trail. Such nuances were beautifully articulated in the original Korean version, which featured a balanced and poetic narrative structure.

Amidst the escalating absurdity, Gulshan Devaiah delivers a heartfelt performance.

The series concludes on another cliffhanging note, leaving the possibility of a third season, which is more unsettling than all the intense, violent scenes—such as stabbings and nail-pullings—inflicted upon the audience.

We wish Indian shows would learn that in storytelling sometimes less is more impactful than more.

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