Shehar Lakhot stars Priyanshu Painyuli and Kubbra Sait in an almost noir thriller set in Rajasthan
Creator: Navdeep Singh, Devika Bhagat
Cast: Priyanshu Painyuli, Kubbra Sait, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Shruthy Menon, Manu Rishi Chadha, Chandan Roy, Abhilash Thapliyal
Where to watch: Prime Video
Rating: 2 stars
Shehar Lakhot is the new show on OTT in a long line of rustic thrillers set in the heartland of north India with murders, mysteries, and lots of swearing. It’s a template that has worked for Indian shows in the past (see Mirzapur et al). But Shehar Lakhot looks like a pale imitation of that template where everything happens on just the surface but not does go deep enough to be engaging. That is why despite some compelling performances and a decent enough plot, this noir thriller falls flat, and how.
Shehar Lakhot is the story of Dev (Priyanshu Painyuli), a fixer from Gurgaon who must return to his hometown Lakhot in Rajasthan, to help his boss in diffusing a protest at a local marble mine. Dev was disgraced in Lakhot years ago and fled, leaving behind a girlfriend (Shruthy Menon), who is now cosy with the local strongman (Chandan Roy Sanyal). He must navigate them, his estranged family and an assortment of cops, both honest (Kubbra Sait) and corrupt (Manu Rishi Chadha), while uncovering the big mystery of his town.
To put it bluntly, Shehar Lakhot wastes an interesting premise by being so over-the-top that it never really looks convincing. The characters look like caricatures. The setting looks artificial, and the premise very flimsy. The motivations of the protagonist are well detailed and he is the only well-rounded character for the longest time, until Kubbra Sait’s Pallavi is allowed to shine too.
Shehar Lakhot wastes a lot of time in exposition and dialoguebaazi where characters talk to each other in very filmy lines. That comes in stark contrast to the realistic, small town setting of the show. It’s almost as if the show and its makers can’t decide what they want to make – a gritty realistic thriller or a grand dark whodunit. And in that confusion, it loses the plot, quite literally. The twists are predictable, the grand reveals can be seen from a mile away, and the whole show loses its appeal after a while.
Priyanshu Painyuli does a competent job at bringing out the turmoil, frustration, and angst of Dev. He isn’t the typical protagonists. He has his demons, he is underconfident, and he (like the show) loses the plot often. But all that makes him likable and Painyuli brings all that to the fore quite well. The other star of the show is Kubbra Sait, who gives a masterclass in how to portray a character with anger, resentment bubbling under the surface. She is a volcano waiting to erupt but not quite. Two other actors who deserve an honourable mention are Chandan Roy Sanyal and Manu Rishi Chadha. Chandan brings gravitas and menace to what would otherwise be a very one-dimensional villain character, while Manu Rishi brings in the much-needed fun flavour with a delicious portrayal of a corrupt cop.
Shehar Lakhot is more than just a wasted opportunity. It is a reminder that gimmick and setting alone is not enough. The show falters despite some great performances. Maybe it can serve makers and platforms as a reminder that be it cinema or OTT, formula does not work.
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