Streaming Platform: Zee5

Duranga S2 Review: Thriller stories make for a gripping watch for those who enjoy creepy and suspenseful stories. Zee5's most watched and searched serial killer web series, Duranga, has returned with its second season on the streaming platform on October 24.

Duranga, as the name suggests, means duality and deception. While the show shuffles between the good and the evil, the show characters are in a constant fight with their inner demons.

Before we delve into the second season in detail, let's take a small recap of the previous season. Abhishek Banne/Samit Patel (Gulshan Devaiah), son of psychopath serial killer Bala Banne, is living a disguised life and comes under the radar of his police officer wife, Ira Patel (Drashti Dhami).

Though Bala is dead, his past still haunts his kids, and Abhishek has to resort to living under disguise as he has been accused of killing the sarpanch of their village, Sarangwadi.

However, a gruesome murder similar to this takes place in Mumbai, which has been executed in Bala Banne's style and topples their lives. While the investigation makes Abhishek/Sammit the major suspect, we see him on the hunt for the accomplice of his father. The season ends with Sammit Patel (Amit Sadh) awakening from a coma.

Plot

The new season begins with the flashback of young Sammit trying to hurt his classmate, and the audience is warned about his violent psychosis that existed in his younger days. We are then taken to the present day, where we witness an emotional tension between Abhishek and Ira.

Sammit wakes up from a coma after 14 years and learns that someone else is living his life. He gets straight into killing women and is also determined to destroy Abhishek's family, which starts by befriending Ira and Abhishek's daughter Anya.

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In season 2 of Duranga, we witness more of Amit Sadh's character and how he gets acquainted with Bala Banne, who teaches him frightful ways of torturing young women and killing them. The real Samit Patel's disturbed state of mind and lunatic behaviour is gradually revealed.

Ira and the CBI are diligently investigating to catch Bala Banne's accomplice. Abhishek, on the other hand, is suffering from his childhood trauma while strongly on a quest to find his father's partner.

Performances

Duranga's strong point lies in its performances. Every actor offers an earnest performance, which makes the series more watchable. Gulshan Devaiah, AKA Sammit Patel, is brilliant and plays the role of a trauma-affected man with finesse. A man devoid of any emotions of love, pain, or happiness, Gulshan delivers a restrained performance, making you wonder who other than him could better portray the role.

Amit Sadh delivers a believable performance, portraying a controlled, sick man who doesn't have an ounce of remorse for his wrongdoings and doesn't think before hurting people.

Drashti Dhami, a broken cop and wife who is going through emotional turmoil, caught between duty and love, has impressively played her character.

Divya Seth, Barkha Bist Sengupta, Abhijeet Khandekar, Rajesh Khattar, and Zakir Hussain are all convincing in their parts.

What's good

The show is packed with exceptional performances that keep the audience's interest intact till the end. The tight screenplay and intrigue maintained in the motives of the characters have been nicely done. It is a cleverly written whodunit thriller story that brews slowly over time.

The show has a decent production value and holds a suspenseful and eerie atmosphere. Each episode lasts for 30-35 minutes, making it an easy watch.

What's bad

Duranga is an official remake of the Korean drama Flower Of Evil, and those who haven't watched it will very much like the Hindi version. Even though the story is engrossing, the speed at which the episodes move forward is almost a buzzkill for the audience.

Many scenes seemed rushed. A lot of questions in the second season remain unanswered, and the biggest drawback is the revelation of the main culprit at the beginning of the show itself.

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Verdict

Duranga is definitely binge-worthy, and one can finish it in one go. However, it's not an exception to flaws, as clunky plotlines and dramatisation destroy the core aspect, which is withholding the secrets and thrills.

Having said that, it's a well-done show that captures the darkness and devious quirks of a sociopath serial killer show.