Anything that tries to uplift a taboo motif summons applause. Rangeen swiftly fits the narrative. Bringing up ‘male sex work’ in the conversation is the get-go here. Undaunting concept, and to add dark humour to it is an upgrade.
Rangeen, directed by Kopal Naithani and Pranjal Dua, the 9-episode series takes you on the eccentric livelihood of a middle-aged man who deals with infidelity, eventually transforming his profession from a journalist to a gigolo.
Amir Rizvi and Amardeep Galsin, the writers, chewed the cud, fine and with fervour. But what we saw was a mess. I almost felt I was letting my eyes go desensitised to infidelity. Coldplay already got us into the debacle, and this series adds a bit of fuel to the fire. The series divulges its story around Adarsh (Viineet Kumar Siingh), who has caught his spouse, Naina (Rajshri Deshpande), cheating with a sex worker, Sunny (Taaruk Raina). We see Adarsh watching the two in the act on his smartphone. His hands tremble, eyes spill out agony—and he questions his own existence, his charisma as a man; and all of that shadows his spectacle in the loveless relationship. Naina does point out ‘what’s missing,’ and how the marriage has gotten slated between responsibilities. But Adarsh sets the tone of vengeance, and not sorting it out. So, he transitions from being a journalist to a gigolo. Sunny becomes his guide.
Adarsh sets out his journey in this sexual bandwagon. Getting rampant clients. But the pain doesn’t fade. Instead of rekindling the love and spark that’s lost in the marriage, he thinks ‘teaching a lesson’ would do the work. The narrative would have made its mark if it were more about reforming and healing the cracks in the broken marriage and forgiving each other. The presence, therefore, falters. Presence of both Naina and Adarsh. They run away from each other instead of intersecting. We also see how Adarsh is demoralising Naina out of sheer infliction in one scene, and Naina, with her eyes welling up, gets bamboozled, realising what her husband, whom she loved so dearly, thinks about her.
Rangeen becomes watchable, because of the seldom well-crafted scenes, and of course, the actors. They pick the pace up on their shoulders. Keeping that aside, everything pans out to be muted. The adventures, the hurtles in between the characters all feel like a Sudoku set-up. At a certain point, you pan out to pick up darts and break them down for the narrative to work out. And the only breakthrough the couple needed here was reunion and reconciliation. Infidelity itself is a wide spectrum to understand. In times like these, where relationships go awry at just one silly pull, Rangeen could have been a potential nurturer here, but it took a different turn that none of the characters could handle throughout.
The supporting ensemble serves the tonality right. Taaruk Raina shines as Sunny, bringing an energetic charm to his character, especially in the hilarious back-and-forths with Adarsh, which are a real highlight. Sheeba Chadha, with her sharp and sly portrayal of Sitara, effectively embodies a character whose pretentious air of aristocracy is transparent to everyone but herself. Meanwhile, Ratnabali Bhattacharjee adds depth with her intriguing performance as the mysterious Jugnu, offering steady support to the plot.
Rangeen, produced by Kabir Khan and Rajan Kapoor, teeters between being a potential game-changer and a missed opportunity. It ventures into bold, uncharted territory, diving into the complexities of infidelity and emotional upheaval, but somehow misses the mark. Despite the strong performances from Taaruk Raina, Sheeba Chadha, and Ratnabali Bhattacharjee, the series gets lost in its own maze of vengeance and unresolved pain, opting for a more cynical path instead of offering redemption or healing. The emotional core that could’ve anchored the narrative is left untapped, and as a result, what could’ve been a raw, transformative story feels more like a puzzle that never quite fits together. Rangeen might start with the promise of confronting hard truths, but its refusal to resolve the cracks leaves it lingering in the shadows of what it could have been.
Rangeen is currently streaming on Prime Video.
IWMBuzz rates it 2.5/5 stars.
