Gyaarah Gyaarah Web Series Review- Thrill-a-Minute Crime Saga | Filmfare.com (2024)

What would you do if you could change the past? That's the underlying emotion on which the new web series Gyaarah Gyaarah builds it's tale of crime, drama and causality. Two cops are able to accidentally connect with each other across different times, using a glitching walkie-talkie. While one cop is in 2016, the other is in 1990-2001 and together these two policemen are able to crack unsolved cases. Gyaarah Gyaarah is inspired from a Korean show called Signal (2016), which in turn was inspired from the Hollywood movie Frequency (2000). While the basic premise may have been borrowed, what Gyaarah Gyaarah does to fit the sci-fi concept into the Indian setting is what makes it absolutely brilliant. This is one of the most unique ideas to come to Indian screens of late. And the execution is top notch too.

This eight-episode series starts off in 2001. A 9-year-old girl Aditi is abducted from a small-town fair in Uttarakhand. The investigative thriller kicks off when the girl's corpse is discovered from the river a few days later. Cop Shaurya Antwal (Dhairya Karwa) takes up the case. Almost immediately, the audience is transported to 2016, where 15 years later, the perpetrator of the crime remains unidentified and the case is unsolved. Aditi's mother (Gautami Kapoor) remains hopefully and determined as she leads candle marches for 15 years. In 2016, cops Vamika (Kritika Kamra) and Yug (Raghav Juyal) take up the reigns of the case. Things get interesting when one fateful night, at exactly 11:11 pm, sparks start flying and the walkie-talkies being held by Shaurya in 2001 and Yug in 2016, get connected in a moment of sci-fi magic. The two men, assuming they're at the same time and working on the same case, exchange crucial information, which leads to a major breakthrough in discovering the missing murderer.

And that is the start of this time-crossing adventure. While most of the show plays out like a standard police procedural, the sci-fi infusions spice things up. Also engaging are the lead characters' back stories where we discover how Shaurya, Yug and Vamika are connected across time. Also interesting are the back stories of the killers / perpetrators featured in the show. During the course of the 8 episodes, the cops end up tackling multiple cases and each time the criminal has an engaging back story. And that's why the chase by Vamika, Yug and Shaurya and their team of cops end up becoming all the more interesting and engaging.

The show is largely based in an around the Mussoorie and Dehradun locations in Uttarakhand. But the timelines start from 1991 and the show doesn't quite make the transition of these locations from Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand (which was officially instated in 2000) clear or part of the narrative. There is a transition in the police force, but a change as distinct as a new state formation would surely impact police operations far more than is shown in Gyaarah Gyaarah. One wishes that the makers would have incorporated that detail, because the screenplay does have minute details about locations and settings that make an impact in the crime investigation. The focus on details through the writing is a little inconsistent. But, that's a minor issue in a show that is otherwise detailed and well-produced.

A rare feat that Gyaarah Gyaarah manages is in its implementation of VFX and CGI. While these visual sequences are limited, they actually manage to enhance the storytelling effort. The scene of the police station's walls transitioning from present to past are very well done. Also great is, the climactic scene where flames from an exploding truck engulf a character and look absolutely real.

The writing and direction from Umesh Bist, who has managed to skillfully adapt the show from the K-drama Signal, is top notch. Particularly good are the dialogue and the crime investigation details. And all that creative novelty is amplified by the performances. Dhairya Karwa channels the angry-young-man energy very well. Raghav Juyal and Kritika Kamra are fabulous in their layered performances as well. There is a large ensemble cast including popular names like Harsh Chhaya, Nitesh Pandey, Gaurav Sharma. And all performances are strong and layered.

Gyaarah Gyaarah is a absolute must-watch, where eight episodes entertain and captivate your attention with indepth writing and imaginative execution. The pace doesn't falter and the performances make sure the characters stick with you for the entire runtime. And it ends on a cliffhanger, keeping you hooked for the next season, too.