Rudra: Razor-Sharp Dialogues & Devgan Power The Thriller

Going by the  trailer  of  Applause Entertainment &  BBC  Studios India’s  new thriller series Rudra, Ajay Devgan’s  web debut  is all set to be  very auspicious.  It’s  a serial-killer thriller  and the killer, not unlike some  almost-forgotten  actors who have  made a grand comeback on OTT, makes a comeback with three murders.

Before we can whistle in dismay, Devgan gets cracking with the  interesting  investigation. He has always been a  man of action more than a  man of words.  But this time he has the verbal swag at his disposal to put his fist where his  mouth is. Early in the trailer  he  tells a colleague he waits for  his adversaries to slip up.And if they don’t he says he  pulls  them into the darkness.

Devgan’s Rudra  also has  marriage  problems(with Esha Deol, seen in one shot of the trailer) and a colleague (unmarried) suggests that  couples who don’t sleep together are likely to have more successful marriages.

“Experience or  an App?” Devgan cocks an eyebrow.

The set-up looks sexily crisp.Besides  Devgan  there are some other enormously effective  actors around , like Atul Kulkarni an actor  who can sink a thousand ships with  one phook(blow).And  I am so glad to see the  incredibly talented Ashwini Kalsekar in a non-comic role. As  Devgan’s  diligent  colleague she has some of  the  best lines including this:  “There is  nothing like  a break in a relationship.”

Rudra looks like  a  dishy desi adaptation  of  the BBC series Luther  in which the  fantastic  Idris Elba   had  played Devgan’s role. Elba’s wife in the original is played an  Indian actress Indira Verma.Esha Deol  seems an adequate  replacement. Devgan I feel will be every bit as  explosive as Elba.

Would  the remake  be able  to live  up to  the original? It  looks like it will.As we  can see, Rudra is  in capable  hands ; Devgan and  his  committed co-stars and also director Rajesh Mapuskar who once was Raju Hirani’s associate. On his  own  Mapuskar explores the darkness that  spreads  itself out in the chasm that divides the criminal from his/ her nemesis . I can’t wait for the series to start streaming on  Disney+ Hotstar.