Crime Beat is presently streaming on Zee5
A deadly concoction of crime, investigative journalism and law enforcement, Crime Beat gazes at the quest for front page headlines and by-lines in journalism juxtaposed against the throbbing underbelly of crime and cops. It follows the journey of a rookie crime journalist from small-town Benaras: Abhishek Sinha (Saqib Salim, a compelling and relatable performance that mustn’t go unnoticed), who is struggling to find his footing both professionally and personally.
The story picks up pace and intrigue when Abhishek uncovers a lead on an elusive fugitive gangster and tracks his secret return to India. The gangster is Binny Chaudhary (Rahul Bhat, decent), who orchestrates high-profile kidnappings. Binny is in exile, but he engineers the missions through a honey-trapper who goes by the moniker, Heroine (Sai Tamhankar, bold and firebrand). As Abhishek delves deeper into the investigation, which has the potential to make him a journalistic sensation, he is pulled into a dangerous web of deceit and hidden agenda.
Sudhir Mishra, who is the show runner of the 8-brisky-episode series, borrows the material from Somnath Batabyal’s book, “The Price that You Pay.” Mishra elevates the narrative by thrusting Abhishek into perilous situations and moral dilemmas when he finds his life and relationships in crisis. Mishra’s work may not be as piercing or poignant like his early gems Is Raat ki Subah Nahin or Hazaaron Khwaaishein Aisi but it certainly keeps you engaged like any potboiler ought to. Staying faithful to the source, Batabyal and co-writer Sanjiv Kaul flesh out a tight screenplay that emphatically gazes at the complex intersection of law enforcement, media, and the underworld as seen through the eyes of the protagonist.
Meanwhile, in a news publication, the stern news head Amir Akhtar (Danish Husain) grapples with newsroom politics, TRP struggles, unfairness by his top-shot boss, and deceptions, as he hobnobs with gangsters, apathetic, politicians, business honchos, and policemen such as ACP Mayank (Adinath Kothare). Since such scenarios have been done to death to films and serials, these segments in Crime Beats seem mundane. And Danish Husain, an otherwise powerful actor, is wasted in such a stereotype characterization.
Abhishek’s navigations and negotiations in the crime capital, New Delhi, including its six-lane highways and side-alleys are excitingly designed by Mishra and Kaul with plenty of nuances and high-voltage showdowns. In this chaotic world, he is emotionally cushioned by his colleague, Maya Mathur (Saba Azad, spontaneous and natural). He finds a reliable professional buddy in Pasupati (Kishore Kadam, rendering his signature antics effortlessly), who is from the photography dept.
Under Mishra’s aegis, Crime Beat derives adrenaline from its unpredictability and flush of urgency rendered by a motley of well-etched characters. Binny’s self-style Robinhood and his operations are not only motive-driven but also find their roots in an ugly encounter that dates 15 years back, awaiting a closure, both by Amir and the Dirty-Harry styled DCP, Uday Kumar (Rajesh Tailang).
A sense of time resonates with the production design. The setting is Delhi in January-February 2011. So, the images captured by Arvind Krishan and Savita Singh show hoardings of Aamir Khan’s Satyamev Jayate, the Chhole-Kulche mobile bandis, and the electronic gadgets prior to the advent of smart-devices. And the costumes (Tajshree Akre) mostly encompass woollens.
With a plethora of shows based on crime reporting and its associated sub-plotlines infesting the OTT, Crime Beats stands out with its addictive nature of storytelling and its razor-sharp Delhi dialogue akin to a pitch-perfect riff.
Crime Beat on IMDb
