‘Aranyak,’ set in the frigid and gorgeous hill station of Sironah in North India, follows the lives of two opposed police officers. Angad (Parambrata Chattopadhyay) is a city-bred cop with sophisticated crime-solving skills, whereas Kasturi (Raveena Tandon) is a local, pleasant neighbourhood cop who understands the people, places, and pulse of her small-town.
Sironah is a place where there’s always a sense of unease in the air, and there’s rarely a happy time in anyone’s life. After 19 years, it just takes one huge crime to send the cops on a wild goose chase after an elusive rapist and killer, who is also suspected of being a half-man, half-leopard creature.
The plot of the show appears to be readily summarised in a feature film without sacrificing the show’s spirit of darkness and secrecy. Fortunately, the story is led by two extremely excellent actresses, Raveena Tandon and Parambrata Chattopadhyay, who take up most of the screen time.
Meghna Malik, who plays the deceptive but smart minister Jagdamba, stands out among the rest of the group. In their respective characters as conniving power-hungry politicians and a retired cop stranded in time who won’t stop seeking for clues to solve the big crime, Zakir Hussian and Ashutosh Rana are monotonous. Taneesha Joshi, who plays Kasturi’s teenage daughter Nutan, and Wishvesh Sharkholi, who plays her fragile lover Bunty, stand out among the younger actors.
The setting, as well as the naturally magnificent pictures of snow-capped mountains and trees, is another highlight.
Human ties and bonds within a family are at the heart of this mystery. Kasturi’s scenes with her daughter are particularly touching.
The premise of Raveena Tandon’s ‘Aranyak’ isn’t unique, and neither is the backdrop of a tranquil tiny village rocked by a murder, which hasn’t been seen before, especially on OTT. Nonetheless, this show, directed by Vinay Waikul and produced by Rohan Sippy and Siddharth Roy Kapur, generates a powerful feeling of mystery and continual tension that keeps it going.
