Indian superstitions, unexplained traditions, ancient mysteries have been massively shown in OTT platforms in all aspects.
‘Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya’ starring Tisca Chopra as the lead actress will give you literal goosebumps right from the first frame of the story. The story begins with an incident with a geologist’s family back in 1989. This scene gives us a glimpse of the extent of horror, thrill and monstrosity to expect as the series unfolds. As it moves ahead, the story unravels of how the town of Shilaspura; where the whole plot is set is under the sway of an ancient demon, “Ridhiyakan”.
The story might seem a little slow paced for today’s time but the way it unravels is impeccable – the flashes of history, the strong or rather dark scenes of the “Shila” (the place where the said monster lies dormant in his abode), the graphics are truly spell bounding.
While speaking of the horrific scenes, one such unforgettable and well established scene is of the “Shila”, right when Avni (Tisca Chopra) visits it in the beginning, or when her son Anay (Rohan Joshi) visits it in the later episodes. The entire scene raises curiousity and gives an edge-of-the-seat thrilling experience. The backdrop of Rajasthan, sand mountains, the stone made walls, the attires of the characters, every single detail just fits perfectly where it’s supposed to.
Soon the audience is made part of the perilous world of Mayavi, Haadika, the Kaaraapallis, the Nikaasiyas, the Raakans; and what each one means for the residents of the town. Though having a very strong inclination towards superstitions and believes passed over the years, the story not only manages but also succeeds in giving a scientific point of view to all the supernatural happenings.
In this bumpy journey, we must give credit to makers of the series beacuse no matter the number of times we come accross any horrific scene or “Raakan”, it never feels monotonous or something that’s expected.
About the characters, each one of them has their own individuality and a very strong sense of pride. Even Avni as she goes brusque despite protests and sanctions the blastings at the mining sector. Adding to this, the scene where she decides to rescue the workers all by herself, was a little over the top and clearly displayed exaggeration or unnecessary drama. Saurabh Shukla as Pramukh Swaroop, Mukesh Tiwari as Bhairo Singh, Rajesh Tailang as Parimal Singh and Ankur Nayyar as Sandeep Bajaj, all deliver flawless and spectacular performances.
Just like any other series this too has its own share of flaws. One such prominent flaw is the inconsistency and the depiction when it comes to occult scenes. In the beginning we can clearly see people turning into complete monsters or ‘Raakans’, instantly as if there is no turning back while there are some who keep switching from being all normal to a monster at will. In the end the climax seems a little too far fetched or a little too much of a fantasy.
The main highlights of the series is definitely the strong performances from the lead cast, each and every one of them, the world the story tellers manage to build with bits and pieces and much detailing. And, the build up of the story line.
Produced by Deepak Dhar and Rishi Negi, the show is an amazing piece and a great example of dynamic direction by directors Vikranth Pawar and Jai Sharma. The creativity of the writers Shiva Shankar Bajpai, Nisarg Mehta and Nikhil Nair cannot go unnoticed throughout the series. All said and done, ‘Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya’ is a great one-time watch and entertaining in its own way.
‘Dahan: Raakan Ka Rahasya’ is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
