Lots of police drama

Lalbazaar – the name of the web series recently released on Zee 5 does hold intrigue in terms of the content, especially for a crime thriller. Somewhere between portraying injustice that happens in the red light district of Kolkata and the flesh trade, violence and crime associated is intertwined the episodic thriller where the brave hearts of homicide at Lalbazaar solve one crime after another under the able leadership of Suranjan Sen (Kaushik Sen), an able boss whom his team loves.

He however carries the cross for an unfortunate death of a female officer Abida, who is burnt alive during an operation. And while he is at solving one murder mystery after the other on a daily basis, he is also involved in an investigation involving a murder paraded as suicide of a sex-worker Ruby. Assisting him is a much spirited sex worker Farzana. An otherwise, a simple case of murder assumes importance when a police officer, an OC at Waatganj begins to be threatened during the investigation.

Suranjan is in his 40s and he is also known to be hot headed and takes law into his own hands when someone threatens his team. It is upon his senior (Sabyasachi Chakrabarty), to save him from situations and his impending attacks. He is separated and lives with his journalist girlfriend Maya (Hrishita Bhatt). Now, each of these characters has a past that defines them and dictates their present, and they all come together to take the story forward.

Popular Bengali actors like Gaurav Chakrabarty, Sauraseni Maitra and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who plays the notorious smuggler, also into flesh trade; are also there in pivotal roles. It is a stellar cast including well-known names from theatre and Bengali cinema and television. But the story while offering individual opportunity for good performances leaves a lot to be desired in terms of gritty tale falling short of what it deserves to be, an edge of the seat thriller.

Directed by Bengali director Sayantan Ghosal and written by Rangan Chakravarty, the plot of the sub stories too is way too predictable to add any value. Season one of Lalbazaar is watchable for the cast, and aesthetics. Director did a good job in capturing a slice of Kolkata. The web series on Zee 5 holds a great promise for a second season; albeit with some script corrections.