Whistleblower Web Series Review: Ritwik Bhowmik's Emotional Performance Will Keep You Hooked

Duration: 9 Episodes /45 Minutes
Language: Hindi
Trigger Warnings: Suicide, Death

Disclaimer: The review is based on seven episodes of season one.

Plot: Whistleblower follows the crime world of the medical industry as well as the education industry. Set in the city of Bhopal, MP and it takes us into the lives of medical interns at Reliable Hospital and Dr Sanket Bhadoria. Sanket tired of the medicare lifestyle takes some questionable risks that end up costing him more than the death of his father.

Review: Whistleblower, directed by Manoj Pillai mainly runs on the power of a terrific cast including Ritwik Bhowmik, Sonali Kulkarni, Ravi Kishan, Sachin Khedekar and more. The show set in the city of Bhopal, MP, takes the audience into the lives of medical interns at Reliable hospital. We also get to see the world of crime associated with the medical world and the education system, still, the makers keep the story close to home, heavy on emotions and vendetta.

The show begins with an introduction to Dr Sanket Bhadoria (Ritwik Bhowmik), the heir of Reliable Hospital. Sanket is well known in the hospital not only for his father's legacy but also as a capable doctor, however, he doesn't find satisfaction in that. He spends most of his time - smoking, drinking, partying and trying new drugs with other residents at the hospital. However, he soon finds a bigger high of thrill.

Stepping into the world of proxy examiners, Sanket stars writing exams for other students to help them get into medical schools. When that is not enough, he starts dealing with seats at his own hospital. Soon it becomes evident that not all the medical school students and hospital residents have landed the position thanks to their hard work and years of studying, many just buy their way in. Journalists (Sonali Kulkarni), soon discovers that the system to buy a way into a respectable job as a doctor does not stop there, people have been doing the same to land jobs of sub-inspectors and even bigger positions in the education system.

When Sanket's father (Sachin Khedekar) starts to question the bought out seats at Reliable hospital the entire industry is tensed up, costing him more than his dignity. Sanket unable to deal with the consequence of his involvement in the crime world starts investigating the death of his father with the help of the journalists.

While the show beings with a privileged point of view, it starts out easy with a bit of fun. No amount of illegal activities seem to ring any red flags, however, the makers have managed to strike a balance with the real-world impact of the same actions. Writer Ajay Monga does not miss a chance to show how untrained and uninterested doctors affect the lives of patients. Through Ravi Kishan's character, the makers have also explored the reasoning behind why would people want to buy seats in medical schools, which in the end are taken from some real and capable students.

Ritwik Bhowmik as Sanket keeps the story going, not only as the central character but also with his powerful performance. From just a reckless kid to one driven by vengeance Ritwik takes on every part of the role with passion. Meanwhile, Ravi Kishan is menacing as Dadda, and the only character you will truly end up hating despite some unruly characters in the show. Sonali Kulkarni and Sachin Khedekar get a few powerful scenes but they leave their presence behind with humble dialogues.

Overall, Whistleblower stars strong and drives the message home at its own pace. Despite several subplots, the makers don't lose sight and keep the story close to Sanket's personal gain and loss-making it an easier watch. Whistleblower is easily one of the best releases this month.