Grahan review: An action-thriller show that interlinks stories from two different eras

3/5

What is it about?

A love story turns tragic in the midst of communal riots. Grahan is inspired by the novel ‘Chaurasi’ by Satya Vyas. The action-thriller web series interconnects stories from two different timelines. Grahan takes us to a small town where the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were initiated, it also reveals the hows and whys of the violence. The show also follows the aftermath of the incident that takes place after 30 years.

What’s hot?

First and foremost is the 1984 inter-religion love story that takes us to the older times, where people were obliged to merely get a glimpse of their lovers. The young sweethearts used to wait to get that one chance to step out of their houses, so they could meet each other in peace. The televisions were available in their giant avatar but people still loved to wait for their favourite filmy songs to play on the radio.

It’s not hidden that a riot can take place by the action of a single person. The series offers a wide perspective on how incidents used to happen during a time when there was no availability of cellphones and the internet.

Grahan also glorifies the father-daughter relationship, where a father (Pawan Malhotra) tries to protect his daughter from a truth that could hurt her in so many ways. While a daughter (Zoya Hussain) tries to seek the ray of hope to believe in her father even when she gains the knowledge of him being a culprit.

While the show manifests so much hate crime from different places and times at once, it also promotes the idea of non-violence. The protagonist along with a few well-trodden people can be seen halting a communal riot and teaching people a lesson of harmony and peace.

Last but not the least, each and every location has done justice to the show, which is representing the tale of a small town. Where a few of the characters struggled to perfect the accent of the eastern state, many characters and especially the supporting cast nailed their part.

What’s not?

Though the love story makes the show happy and interesting for a while, the revelation of the truth takes quite a lot of time which makes the screen run slow in the middle. The series tries to tell us two different stories simultaneously but the oscillating cuts from one era to another take a few seconds to establish a connection with the viewer. The intense music at some of the places and especially during a few fighting scenes are so overpowering that it makes it difficult to hear the dialogues. In a few initial scenes where the curse words and abuses that have been used by the characters are a little too much and unnecessary and seems to have been forced.

Lastly, the title ‘Grahan’ which has only been used once in the show by a small, supporting character doesn’t justify it at all.

Verdict:

The comparison between two different eras and nuances will make you not hate the show. The ending was not abrupt in any manner, however, it feels that a few issues are yet to be resolved and there is still a scope of justice. With a few issues and different angles that the show offers, it ought to be watched at least once.