Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – A seemingly simple case of a missing girl, Poonam, puts Inspector Vishwas Bhagwat on a chase to find the culprit behind a sinister trail of disappearing girls.

My Take – In a time when every streaming platform is determined to churn out as many as possible serial killer stories in both long and short forms, ZEE5 seems to have found themselves a template where it is always the innocuous-looking man who is targeting the innocent, and is being chased down by a police officer who is fighting his/her own demons.

The latest to add to this template is this sophomore directorial from Akshay Shere (The Film Emotional Atyachar), who explores a real-life crime incident involving a serial killer in the eastern region of Uttar Pradesh.

But while his film covers all the basics of a compelling thriller from its gripping atmosphere, grounded setting and tone to its sincere performances, its restrained approach keep it from truly reaching its potential. Though the honesty in the storytelling comes through clearly, the film’s sluggish pacing often works against the tension it is trying to build.

Sure, it works as an effective yet imperfect film, particularly as one that grips through its premise, yet it also leaves you wishing it had gone darker, deeper, and had been braver. There’s an underlying authenticity in the way it approaches its subject, however, the narrative needed to be tighter and more relentless in maintaining the thrills.

And of course, one can’t deny its similarity to Dahaad (2023), the eight-episode critically acclaimed Prime Video thriller about a cop (Sonakshi Sinha) who gets drawn into a case of multiple missing girls and a potential serial killer (Vijay Varma). Nevertheless, for crime thriller enthusiasts (like myself), the film should make for a watchable yet forgettable attempt that offers moments of intrigue and brings solid turns but does not offer enough novelty to stand out from alike films in the genre.

Set in 2009, the story follows Vishwas Bhagwat (Arshad Warsi), a seasoned but flawed police officer who due to his anger issues is removed from the crime branch and is given a punishment posting at Robertsganj, Uttar Pradesh. Where he finds himself investigating the missing case of Poonam Mishra, who has allegedly run away with a young man from another community, leading to communal tensions.

Immediately realizing that the investigation has so far has been shoddy, Bhagwat even goes up and promises Poonam’s father to bring her back in the next 15 days, however what he doesn’t expect is the revelation of a disturbing pattern of young girls who have disappeared in the region over the past 4-5 years.

Meanwhile, in Banaras, a Chemistry teacher named Samir (Jitendra Kumar) is charmingly wooing a young woman named Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar), determined to win her love at all costs.

What follows is a tense, psychological game of cat-and-mouse that develops between the world-weary cop and the extremely strategic predator as Bhagwat tenaciously strives to establish connections and expose the perpetrator. With the central struggle raises questions about right and wrong, ethics, and the fight against one’s own personal monsters.

Here, director Shere, along with writers Bhavini Bheda and Sumit Saxena succeed in creating an ominous mood that lingers from the opening frame. Throughout, Shere’s direction remains deliberate and brooding, with the narrative unfolding in shadows. The atmosphere is heavy with dread, and the cinematography captures the rawness of small-town UP with precision.

A place where complications arise from divides in society, religion, and caste structures. Early on, the blame shifts toward a young Muslim man. Revealing how this person takes advantage of a divided world full of prejudice against women. Mainly as the perpetrator is not the archetypal villain that cinema loves to parade. He is devastatingly and chillingly ordinary, the kind of man who would never raise suspicion, even in the most paranoid crowd. And therein lies the horror. He doesn’t revel in carnage; he studies it. His monstrosity is intellectual, even surgical. Something that allowed the culprit to slip away from accountability for so long.

But we have had the experience with Dahaad (2023) and since director Shere doesn’t have the luxury of the long form he aims to tick all the boxes to create a compelling thriller, something that makes the narrative feel hurried in parts, leaving the victims’ stories and emotional depth largely unexplored. The cat-and-mouse chase between the killer and the police is only lightly touched upon, missing opportunities for real psychological confrontation.

The film’s pacing is uneven too. The moments that should have simmered with intensity instead feel drawn out. And as the case moves forward, you can see the momentum pick up, only for the climax to take the convenient route. Leaving no opportunity for the viewers to feel relief that the criminal has been caught and only awaits execution.

However, the performances are excellent across the board. Arshad Warsi brings a mature and measured turn. It’s a role reminiscent of his earlier cop roles, but here he channels more restraint than rage. His portrayal of a man torn between duty and despair feels lived-in and believable. Jitendra Kumar, known mainly for his gentle and affable roles, steals the spotlight. His portrayal of a man with dual personalities is hauntingly convincing. He moves effortlessly between calm composure and chilling menace, making his role the highlight of the film. His expressions are controlled, his menace understated, and his performance elevates the overall tone.

In supporting roles, Ayesha Kaduskar, Tara Alisha Berry, Devas Dixit, Kavita Shastri and Hemant Saini deliver noteworthy performances that complement the leads. On the whole, ‘Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas‘ is an uneven yet watchable thriller that manages to deliver both a familiar and potent experience.