Series Review: Asur: Welcome to your dark side. Director: Oni Sen.

At a time where OTTs (Over The Top web streaming platforms) broadcast crime thrillers galore, 'Asur: Welcome to your dark side' streaming on Voot makes its mark by being different from others.  It depicts a series of random, yet organized serial killings with a singular distinctive element which two highly intelligent and observant government officials are appointed to solve and decode, and discover  not only the serial killer's agenda, but their own true selves in the process. 

'Asur' is a fresh experiment set in the modern day New Delhi, yet involving ancient Indian and Chinese philosophy. Every killing involves a singular ancient axiom. The usage of the principles portrayed in the ancient Indian philosophy such as 'Agima' which means to be formless, 'Lagima' which means to be lighter than a particle, 'Garima' which means to be heavy and influential and 'Vashitwa' which means having the ability to captivate ; as well as the Chinese philosophy of 'yin and yang', the polar opposites of good and bad, which also include various other opposites, a few of them being man and woman, joy and sorrow serves a dual purpose of not only keeping the audience interested in the progression of the story line, as well as feeding the audience's mind with food for thoughts.

The success quotient of any crime series is when the audience comes up with their own conjectures and speculate the happening or non happening of a particular event. While watching, the audience is sure to come up with their own guesses and is doubly sure of being taken by surprise at the end result, which is arrived at by the application of cogent logic. The portrayal of the Indian and other Oriental tenets with utmost conviction and no penchant for the Western principles and theories whatsoever also serves as a plus point. 

The protagonists, Dr. Dhananjay Rajpoot portrayed by Arshad Warsi and Nikhil Nair portrayed by Barun Sobti are convincing. audience may feel that the roles aren't being played, but embodied. Arshad Warsi showcases his versatility in a serious role which is a polar opposite of his role as 'Circuit' from 'Munnabhai M.B.B.S' .The side characters have also done their jobs well.

'Asur' positively accomplishes the feat of keeping the audience engaged by ending at cliffhangers, and the identification of the cliffhangers itself is spot on. There is no stone left unturned in maintaining an edgy pace, be it the somber, spine-chilling, cynical theme music or the showcasing of table-turning moments. 

 The script is 'no-nonsense' and sans profanity, which easily makes watching 'Asur' a family event. There are eight episodes, the length of every episode varying from 30-45 minutes, save the last one, which ranges to about an hour, thereby making it binge-worthy as well. 

The struggle between the good and the bad, the mesmerisingly persuasive villain (isn't adulthood all about realizing the sensibility of villains?) and the determined protagonists make the show a worth watch. The direction is subtle and effective. The desired effect on the audience is achieved. The series ticks all the boxes. In my observation, the series bears a SLIGHT resemblance to some remarkable English films such as 'Insomnia (2002, Nolan)', 'Pathology (2008)', 'Glass (2019)' and 'Anamorph (2007)'. 

In conclusion, 'Asur' is definitely a successful experiment which effectively conveys a cornucopia of emotions through a singular, riveting and an interesting story. 

Author: Ms. Radhika Sunil Vaidya. 

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