Hunkkaar: The Roar Review: Aneet Padda Is Outstanding In This Riveting Series
· Free Press Journal
Title: Hunkkaar: The Roar
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Directors: Karan D. Kapadia, Heeraz Marfatia and Nitya Mehra
Cast: Aneet Kaur Padda, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Arjun Mathur, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Raghubir Yadav, Ram Kapoor, and others
Where to watch: JioHotstar
Rating: 4 stars
“In India, one rape case is registered roughly every 15 to 20 minutes, so by the time one cooks a meal, 4 rapes would have taken place…” this is a powerful monologue (by Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub’s character) that is just one of the highlights of Hunkkaar – The Roar. This 6 episode series is laced with uncomfortable truths and shows a very ugly reflection of our society.
Read on to find out why the makers have succeeded despite a been there done that plot.
Actors performances
After Hunkkaar, people will stop calling Aneet Kaur Padda as the Saiyaara girl. She is splendid as the 17-year-old feisty Meenu Rawat who dares to challenge a criminal godman Baapji (Raghubir Yadav). She shines in every scene. When she takes the stand towards the climax, it will leave almost every viewer teary eyed. What an absolute delight of an actor. Fatima Sana Shaikh as the investigating officer ACP Jasleen Singh Soni doesn’t impress much. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Arjun Mathur are top notch. The rest of the supporting cast, including Rajesh Sharma, Zoya Hussain, Ram Kapoor, etc act decently. However, Raghubir is a complete miscast as Baapji. The makers got this one absolutely wrong. The central villain’s role should have been played by an actor who exudes the charm of a fake godman and unfortunately, Raghubir neither looks the part nor has he acted well. Basically, he isn’t menacing enough to send chills down the spine.
Direction
Karan D. Kapadia, Heeraz Marfatia and Nitya Mehra have helmed the series. Hunkkaar: The Roar doesn’t feel preachy and in fact puts across all points of views in a rather balanced way. They have also mostly succeeded in eliciting nuanced performances from most of the cast. The direction is laced with a thairaav and that’s what makes the show so brilliant.
Music and aesthetics
Music by Subhajit Mukherjee adds panache to the gritty proceedings. Editing by Dipika Kalra keeps the show’s pace neither too slow nor too fast. Special mention to the art direction - Baapji’s mahal (if one can call it that) is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, cinematography and the way in which the opening credits are done. The makeup, costumes and overall look are done with a lot of attention to detail.
FPJ verdict
The series doesn’t offer anything new in terms of story. A teen accuses a man revered by thousands of violating her. But it is the unique treatment by its makers along with Aneet, Zeeshan Ayub and Arjun’s mesmerising performances that elevate it to another level. The one gripe is Baapji’s casting. The highlight of this series is that it questions why a victim should be the one hiding in shame rather than the perpetrator. It dares roar at the very fabric of our society and beliefs that put a criminal on a pedestal and shun the one who has been damaged by that criminal. A riveting, must-watch.