Rajneeti review: Ditipriya Roy, Kaushik Ganguly, and Koneenica Banerjee present a refreshing and riveting thriller

3.5/5

Story: Rashi Banerjee (Ditipriya Roy) – daughter of Rijpur’s MP Rathin Banerjee (Kaushik Ganguly) – meets with an accident and loses her memory. She banks on Dr Debojit’s (Aniruddha Gupta) narration of the events of the fretful night. After almost a year in the hospital, she gets back home in Rijpur. As she settles down in her familiar area, Dr Debojit’s narration starts conflicting with her fragmented memories of the accident night. A confused Rashi starts digging into her past to get a clear picture of her accident. 

Review: Rajneeti is by far one of the finest series that Hoichoi has delivered so far and it proves that there is no substitution for a good, gripping writing. While it is an uncomplicated political thriller that borrows some ideas from Bollywood films incubated in Hindi Heartland, Saurav Chakrabarti’s political drama is definitely a must-watch for its riveting narration, outstanding performances, and nuanced characterisations. It is a well-scripted and nicely mounted web series that keeps you glued to your seat for two-and-a-half hours.  

Rajneeti is about a political family with the patriarch Rathin Banerjee. He wants his daughter Rashi to join politics and carry forward the legacy. His plan gets disrupted by Rashi’s accident. Unlike many other Bengali thrillers that usually paint characters with broad brushstrokes, this seven-episode series takes a little more care in painting multiple characters with nuanced shades. Right from Rathin to his wife Mallika (Koneenica Banerjee) to the doctor and Saunak (Arjun Chakrabarty, Rashi’s fiance) – every character has layers and none can be defined one-dimensionally. While some characters are well-explored in season one, the others are kept under wrap for the next season. 

Rajneeti is nothing short of a casting coup and everyone puts their best foot forward to beat the other in terms of performance. There is no surprise that Kaushik Ganguly will deliver a rock-solid performance and he impresses effortlessly as Rathin. Ditipriya has also established herself as a fascinating actress of her generation and she is brilliant as Rashi. Right from Rashi’s immobility to cynicism – the actress catches every glimmer of the character. Arjun’s character Saunak takes time to wake up from a slumber and when he does he refines the track of the story. Arjun is brilliant but his character needs more background. Let’s wait for him and the character of Shyamal Chakraborty in season two.  

The show gives birth to a brand new actor in the Bengali industry – Aniruddha Gupta. Dr Debojit is a greedy and compromised doctor and he does full justice to the character. Besides, his performance in front of stalwarts like Kaushik Ganguly and Koneenica proved that he is a brave actor. In a scene, Dr Debojit meets an angry Rathin and his friend (Saunak’s father) at the latter’s house. Aniruddha’s intrepid moments in that scene are unforgettable. 

However, Koneenica is the showstopper in the series. While Mallika is an author-backed role, the actress uses it well and emerges as a queen. Hers is one of the strongest characters in the Bengali OTT scene and Koneenica does a fascinating job. She overdoes a little by the end in a meeting with Shyamal Chakraborty, but that is totally ignorable.

There are lacunas. The plot seems predictable but the presentation wins hearts. The series is shot well and it uses the background score rightly. No episode looks boring and it has crisp editing and it is overall a smartly made series. 

Verdict: Rajneeti makes sure that you will long for the next season without stretching the plotline like chewing gum. So watch it and wait for the next season! It will not let you down.