Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas Movie Review – Arshad Warsi & Jitendra Kumar’s Crime Thriller Walks The Lane Of Brilliance But Misses The Final Door!
Rating: ⭐⭐ (2/5)
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Psychological Drama
Cast: Arshad Warsi, Jitendra Kumar, Ayesha Kaduskar, Tara-Alisha Berry
Director: Akshay Shere
Streaming Platform: ZEE5
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 2 hours 7 minutes
Introduction
Bollywood ke crime thrillers hammesha se ek fascinating genre rahe hain — chahe baat karein Talvar ki ya Raman Raghav 2.0 ki, ye films humein society ke dark corners dikhati hain. Akshay Shere ki Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas bhi kuch aisa hi karne ki koshish karti hai.
Film mein Arshad Warsi ek tough police officer ke role mein hain, jabki Jitendra Kumar, jo hamesha se innocent aur sweet characters ke liye jaane jaate hain, yahaan ek psychopath serial killer ke role mein surprise karte hain. Lekin kya ye pairing aur story aapko engage karti hai? Chaliye, dekhte hain detail mein.
Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas Review – Story in Short
Story shuru hoti hai ek chhoti si love story ke saath. Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar) ek middle-class ladki hai, jo Sameer (Jitendra Kumar) se milti hai aur usse pyaar kar baithti hai. Unka relationship ek innocent aur sweet note par start hota hai. Lekin dheere-dheere Meera gayab ho jaati hai — aur phir milti hain uske jaise aur bhi kai missing girls ki reports.
Yahin enter karte hain Arshad Warsi ek senior cop ke roop mein, jinke anger management issues unke character ko aur real banate hain. Investigation ke dauraan unhe pata chalta hai ki ye missing girls ke peeche ek educated, soft-spoken killer hai — aur woh hai Sameer.
Is case ke beech politics, religion aur social prejudice ka angle bhi judta hai, jahan ek missing girl ke case ko communal issue bana diya jaata hai. True events par based ye film 19 missing women ke cases se inspired hai — ek aisi kahani jise dekhkar aapko chills milte hain, par emotional connection thoda missing lagta hai.
What Works – Strong Performances & Realistic Setup
1. Jitendra Kumar’s Transformation Shocks You
Sabse pehle baat karein Jitendra Kumar ki. Kota Factory aur Panchayat ke sweet aur innocent Vikas aur Abhishek Tripathi ke baad unhe ek cold-blooded psychopath ke role mein dekhna ek visual shock hai — but in a good way!
Unka calm expression, controlled tone, aur chilling presence aapko andar tak hila deti hai. He plays the role with such silence that it becomes even more terrifying.
2. Arshad Warsi Steals Every Scene
Arshad Warsi once again proves he’s one of the most underrated actors of Bollywood. Unka cop avatar yaad dilata hai Sehar aur Asur wale tone ko. He’s not your typical loud cop; he’s intense, broken, and angry. Unke scenes, jahan wo apni frustration aur helplessness dikhate hain, sabse zyada impact karte hain.
3. Realistic Setting & Cinematography
Film ka setup ek North Indian town mein hota hai — jahan dusty lanes, political banners, aur tension-filled atmosphere ek real vibe create karte hain. Cinematographer ne muted color palette aur gritty texture use kiya hai, jisse story aur dark lagti hai.
4. Background Score Adds Weight
Background score subtle yet powerful hai. Jab bhi Jitendra Kumar screen par aate hain, ek haunting silence ya light humming aati hai jo suspense build karti hai.
What Doesn’t Work – Weak Writing & Lost Focus
1. Story Lacks Emotional Depth
Film ka sabse bada issue hai — aapko victims ke liye feel nahi hota. Itni horrifying story hone ke baad bhi, writing unke emotions ko touch nahi karti. Instead, narrative zyada focus karta hai police aur killer ke beech ke cat-and-mouse game par.
2. Predictable Second Half
Pehle 90 minutes tak film gripping hai, lekin second half mein pace gir jaata hai. Jab Jitendra Kumar apna case khud court mein defend karne lagte hain, movie apni thriller tone kho deti hai aur ek average courtroom drama ban jaati hai.
3. Weak Climax & Missed Potential
A film titled Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas promises psychological depth — ek exploration of evil, morality aur human psyche. Lekin climax mein sab kuch rush ho jaata hai.
Arshad Warsi aur Jitendra Kumar ke beech ke dialogues impactful ho sakte the, par writing unhe brilliant banne nahi deti.
4. Overstuffed Subplots
Religion, politics, media frenzy — ye sab elements film mein hain, lekin properly explore nahi kiye gaye. Result — narrative confusing aur stretched lagta hai.
Performances – The Heart of the Film
Arshad Warsi: Outstanding as a frustrated cop. His controlled aggression and emotional restraint make the character believable. Unka emotional breakdown scene courtroom ke baad film ka best moment hai.
Jitendra Kumar: This is his career-defining performance. Unke expressionless face aur haunting eyes film ka soul hain. Ye role unke comfort zone se bahut door hai, aur wo usse beautifully execute karte hain.
Ayesha Kaduskar: As Meera, she delivers a sincere and touching performance. Her vulnerability makes the story’s emotional side work.
Tara Alisha Berry: Limited screen time, but impactful presence.
Technical Aspects – Gritty but Uneven
Direction (Akshay Shere):
Akshay Shere clearly had a strong concept in hand. True events par based ye film ek powerful statement ban sakti thi. But inconsistent pacing aur lack of emotional engagement ne impact ko kam kar diya.
Screenplay:
Screenplay ka first half tight hai, lekin second half mein logic loose ho jaata hai. Dialogues average hain, sirf Arshad-Jitendra ke scenes mein hi energy dikhti hai.
Editing:
Editing crisp ho sakti thi. Kuch courtroom aur flashback sequences unnecessarily stretched hain.
Music:
Background music effective hai, lekin songs forgettable hain. Thankfully, film zyada songs par rely nahi karti.
Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas Review – Symbolism & Themes
Film ke title mein “Bhagwat” aur “Rakshas” ka juxtaposition ek symbolic touch hai — ek taraf dharma aur nyay, dusri taraf paap aur vinash.
Arshad Warsi ka character justice aur morality ka pratinidhi hai, jabki Jitendra Kumar ka character ek educated “rakshas” hai — jo apne actions ko rationalize karta hai as survival or superiority.
Ek interesting dialogue mein Arshad Warsi kehte hain —
“Tu rakshas hai.”
Aur Jitendra jawab deta hai —
“Rakshas nahi, main Baaz hoon. Uddta hoon, chhupta nahi.”
Yeh scene film ka philosophical high point ho sakta tha, lekin uske baad writing wapas clichés mein jaa girti hai.
Cinematography & Production Design
Cinematography realistic hai — small-town chaos, dark alleys, aur crime scenes ko raw tarike se capture kiya gaya hai.
Production design bhi authentic lagta hai — police station ke dingy rooms, courtroom ke claustrophobic vibes aur crime locations sab believable hain.
Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas – The Missed Opportunity
Ye film ek brilliant crime psychological thriller ban sakti thi — jahan focus killer ke psyche aur victims ke trauma par hota.
Par yahaan makers ne safe route liya — ek formulaic police-villain story bana di, jisme thrill to hai, par emotion missing hai.
Still, performances aur direction ke kuch moments film ko worth watching banate hain. Jitendra Kumar’s transformation alone is reason enough to watch it once.
Final Verdict
Bhagwat Chapter 1: Rakshas ek gripping premise ke saath start hoti hai lekin end tak apna charm kho deti hai.
Performances strong hain, concept bold hai, lekin screenplay aur climax disappoint karte hain.
If you love dark thrillers and want to see Jitendra Kumar in a never-seen-before avatar, you can give it a try. But don’t expect the depth of Talvar or the brilliance of Asur.
Final Rating: ⭐⭐ (2 out of 5 stars)
