In the Name of God Review - An underwhelming crime thriller devoid of thrills and imagination

1.5/5

What's it about:

Aadhi (Priyadarshi) is an aimless youngster doing odd jobs to ensure a meal on his plate. He finally makes up his mind about managing a resort in the vicinity of his hometown. He has the hots for Meena (Nandini Rai), the wife of an elderly producer Ayyappa (Posani Krishna Murali) who makes sleazy films to earn his bread and butter. Meena is stuck in a loveless marriage with Ayyappa, which began as a transactional relationship at best. She is in an extra-marital relationship with a small-time drug dealer Thomas (Vikas). When Ayyappa gets to know about their affair, tempers flare and there's little scope for damage-control. How does Aadhi get entangled in this mess?

What's hot:

There's very little that works in favour of In the Name of God as a show. Yet, if one were to give credit where it's due, the show has many an intriguing character (who deserved to come together for a better reason). Despite the mess they land themselves in, you empathise with the backstories of Aadhi and Meena in particular. As a frustrated child who grows without the love of his parents and had to find his way in the world, you know why Aadhi bottles up his emotions all along. Similarly, with Meena, she hardly has any choice with her marriage or career and lands in a soup only because of her impulsive decisions. 

In the Name of God has an arresting premise but is clueless about giving it any possible direction. Varun DK's cinematography provides a rich visual appeal to the show, capturing many different dimensions of Rajahmundry and Hyderabad that resonate with the situations of the characters. The series works well as an acting showcase for Priyadarshi, who reasserts his versatility as a performer after Mail and Loser. The real surprise package is however Nandini Rai who digs deep into the complexities of her character and lends a raw honesty to its portrayal. Posani Krishna Murali is in his element again, with his trademark sarcasm intact.

What's not:

In the Name of God leaves you with a bitter aftertaste. Though the makers may escape with an excuse that this was their attempt to portray reality sans any filters, it's hard to like a story where everyone is into some form of manipulation, either by killing, distracting or betraying each other. It's as if we have no stories to tell beyond crime, drugs, infidelity or sexual freedom. While it's too much to expect some sophistication in dialogue in a male-dominated gangster world, a flurry of cuss words finds a mention in every second line, as if they were in place to create some shock value. The derogatory references to transgenders are in poor taste.

Several subplots are introduced into the show without any context and distract the viewer from the core premise. From Aadhi's marriage life to his father's second wife to Thomas' sexual escapades, there's very little value that these threads bring to the story. Rossi, a notorious man with Israeli roots, randomly enters houses, gives warnings, erupts into laughter and offers gyaan about squirrels. The writing is amateurish, the editing is all over the place and a character's behaviour conveniently changes as per the needs of the plot. The story isn't rooted in its setting. The five-hour length does no good to the show either. But for a few visual motifs and dialogues, the title doesn't hold much relevance in the context of the plot.

Verdict:

In the Name of God starts on a promising note, features impressive performances by Priyadarshi and Nandini Rai, though the proceedings take a turn for the worse later. This is a crime thriller devoid of thrills. It loses the plot quickly, the treatment lacks freshness and the narration is equally wayward.