Mahabharat Murders part 3 review: Saswata Chatterjee and Priyanka Sarkar set the stage for an intense face-off at the grand finale

3.5/5

Story: The third part of Hoichoi’s Mahabharat Murders starts with a chilling shock in the seventh episode and continues to present darker and more complex past of the characters, including that of Siddhartho, (Arjun Chakrabarty).

Review: The stage is set and Mushal (Mausala) and Mahaprasthan (Mahaprasthanika) Parva are almost over in the seventh, eighth and ninth episodes. The murders continue to follow the track of Mahabharata. All we can do is to wait and let the Svargarohana Parva begin.

Based on Arnab Ray’s The Mahabharata Murders, Mahabharat Murders seems to be a narration from Duryodhan’s perspective in which the Kourava ringleader seeks revenge from the Pandavas for slaughtering his family members in what he thinks to be an ‘unethical’ war at Kurukshetra. The seventh episode starts with Siddhartho tracking down Javed (Debashish Mondal) to a warehouse. Meanwhile, Ruksana (Priyanka) explores Kolkata’s boipara (College Street) to find the author and publisher of Duryodhan – a book that contains a poem sent to the police department earlier. In the middle of the murders and sabotage plans, politician Pabitra Chatterjee (Saswata Chatterjee) progresses towards election. Evidence against Abirlal (Kaushik Sen) – Pabitra’s right hand man and visibly the most intimidating character in the show – starts surfacing. By the time we reach the last episode, more evidence surfaces from the old crime scenes and the story narrows down towards the last act.

Also read: Mahabharat Murders part 1 review: Saswata Chatterjee's series builds intrigue 

Saswata, as Pabitra, and Kaushik, as Abirlal, continue to command the episodes with their assertive presence and performance. The duo’s encounter is a delight to watch on screen. Priyanka is more convincing after she is taken out of the investigation. She brings out Ruksana’s vulnerabilities more delightfully than when she was carrying her holster.

Arjun, as Sid, once again proves to be a powerhouse with his restraint and control over delivery timing. Seasoned stage actor Loknath De continues to impress with his nonchalant presence all over the series. The team of Mahabharat Murders has selected unusual locations around Kolkata and the acclaimed DOP-turned-director has used it well. The warehouse, riverbank, water body, even the buildings are not the same as those over- utilized locations in Bengali cinema.

Also read: Mahabharat Murders part 2 review: Saswata Chatterjee brings his 'Dhaakad' side to this Bengali series 

Verdict: Mahabharat Murders is not exactly an edge-of-your-seat thriller. It is verbose and full of references from the epic. However, what may intrigue the audience is seamless blending of modern and traditional forms. Like the epic, the series delves into power, politics, revenge, nonbinary sexual orientation, lust and most importantly, strategy and schemes and that is something not to be missed. If you have watched it till the ninth episode, you surely can’t wait to watch the plot unveiling the motive and the connections (even if you have guessed the mastermind). In case you missed the first three parts, it is your time to catch up with the episodes before Hoichoi gets on with the final three chapters of the epic murder mystery.