Rating – *** (3/5)
Adapted from the book of the same title, Murder in Mahim starts as you would expect any murder mystery to take off—mysterious killer, unknown victim, shady environment – you know the drill. Rather early on, it seems to be a tale of being another murder mystery, which you don’t complain about because the setting is arresting. But soon enough, the tables turn upside down as characters and their arcs come into play.
It doesn’t become about the murder or murders anymore but about the wretchedness, humans are capable of – literally and figuratively.
Murder in Mahim pivots through a mostly taut screenplay that hooks you more often than not. Spanning eight episodes, it veers around balderdash in a few instances but recovers much quicker than you would anticipate.
It helps that you have reliable veterans like Vijay Raaz and Ashutosh Rana at the helm of things. It feels like a personal win to see actors like Raaz and Rana playing leading and meaty roles in a well-produced worthy series. Always limited to being ‘character actors’ (which isn’t derogatory), to see them have a blast on-screen with delicious roles is a treat. Broken men with a history, their chemistry and friendship are what makes for some of the best scenes in the show. There are several parallel storylines; some do justice to their build-up and others don’t. But that’s coherent to an extent in a show that is trying to convey something bigger.
And that’s where Murder in Mahim barely becomes about the murder. I haven’t read the book but here, in the garb of being about a murder mystery and a whodunit, it emulsifies these elements to talk about equal rights, the right to love, gender discrimination, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
The overarching message takes over the mysterious aspect, and while it does land on a few occasions, it also ricochets back and forth with the intended impact.
In the end, Murder in Mahim is an engaging series powered by impressive performances that might leave you with mixed emotions but would still be worth your time.
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