Mukhbir Web Series Review : A detective will save the country’s pride by giving his life, know how is the new series of G5
After cinema, now there are more than a dozen such web series in the world of OTT, which are based on novels or books. These include Maloy Krishna Dhar’s 2011 published novel ‘Mission to Kashmir: An Intelligent Agent in Pakistan’. Based on this novel is the espionage thriller web series ‘Mukhbir: The Story of a Spy’, which is a fictional account of an Indian spy. He helped India win the war. However, it is inspired by true events.
The story of ‘Mukhbir’ revolves around the life of Detective Kamran Baksh (Zain Khan Durrani). He is a normal man who is recruited by SKS Murthy (Prakash Raj), Ramkishore Negi (Adil Hussain) and Jaideep Burman (Sunil Shanbag) in the Intelligence Bureau team. He is sent on a secret mission to Pakistan and now his identity is Harfan Bukhari there. From the day Kamran accepts this mission, his life changes completely. How he gathers intelligence, and how he keeps himself alive in the neighboring country, is shown in this web series of 8 episodes. Each episode is approximately 40 minutes in length.
Shivam Nair, the creator of ‘Mukhbir’ has earlier made headlines by directing the espionage thriller ‘Special Ops’. He has co-directed this web series with Jaiprad Desai. Conceptually, ‘Mukhbir’ is a bit intriguing and focuses on how spies are ready to lay down their lives for their country. The plot of the web series is of the 60s, then the work of communication was also difficult. Especially when you are in the enemy country, the task becomes even more difficult. The result is that this spy thriller packs a lot of punch and keeps you hooked as the viewer.
Due to many funny characters and deep research, ‘Mukhbir’ seems to be a web series made on a real canvas. The art direction and production design make the story come alive on screen. Every frame of the web series has been prepared very carefully. Especially the dialogues between the characters are not only powerful but also leave an impact.
However, there are some action sequences involving gunfights and chases from both sides, which seem a bit dramatic. They do not see the thrill that was needed. But it is also true according to the real goal of this web series, because it is not a war drama from anywhere. The prime focus of this web series is the mission and survival of the detective. Arshad Sayed, Vaibhav Modi and Karan Oberoi have done a great job of writing the screenplay and it keeps the audience hooked. What engages you the most in ‘Mukhbir’ is the personal struggle of a man torn between his duty and his heart. One drawback that is felt is the speed of the story of the web series, which picks up pace only in the last three episodes, when most of the action is shown.
The real strength of the web series is the strong acting of its actors. You start liking the characters of Prakash Raj and Adil Hussain from the very beginning of the web series. Zain Khan Durrani as Kamran Baksh has made a mark on his OTT debut. But it takes time for him to completely fit into the character of Harfan Bukhari, an Indian spy. Jain looks impressive in the scenes involving his training to become a detective. Zoya Afroz in the character of Jameela Ahmed has a different glow of her own. The on-screen chemistry between Durrani and Afroz is just too cute.
Harsh Chhaya as Major General Aga Khan and Atul Kumar as Brigadier Habibullah have done a great job. But there is one character who dominates your heart and mind throughout the show, and that is Dilip Shankar. He plays the role of a ruthless and merciless Colonel Zaidi. Barkha Bisht does a stellar job as Begum Anar. She talks through her expressions rather than words. However, his scenes with Harfan also lead the show to wander a bit.
Backed by stellar performances and an impactful script, ‘Mukhbir: The Story of a Spy’ is a splendid tribute to the unsung heroes who dedicate their lives for the security of the nation. However, if the pace of this spy thriller was a little faster, then the fun of watching it would have doubled.
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