Raktanchal

Raktanchal is a Hindi-language crime drama web series directed by Ritam Srivastav for MX Player original. The story of the web-series is inspired by real-life events from the 1980s of Purvanchal, a region in east Uttar Pradesh.[1][2] The series stars Kranti Prakash Jha and Nikitin Dheer along with Chittaranjan Tripathy, Vikram Kochhar, Pramod Pathak, Soundarya Sharma, Ronjini Chakraborty and Daya Shankar Pandey.[3][4]

Raktanchal
Promotional poster
Genre	Crime Drama
Written by	Sarvesh Upadhyay Sanjeev K Rajat Shashak Raai
Directed by	Ritam Srivastav
Starring	Kranti Prakash Jha Nikitin Dheer Chittaranjan Tripathy
Composers	Mannan Munjal Paresh Shah
Country of origin	India
Original language	Hindi
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	9
Production
Executive producers	Gautam Talwar Shalabh Verma
Producers	Mahima Gupta Pradeep Gupta Shashank Raai
Cinematography	Vijay Mishra
Production companies	Pinaka Studios Pvt Ltd Mahima Productions
Distributor	MX Player
Release
Original network	MX Player
Picture format	HDTV
Original release	May 28, 2020

It is written by Sanjeev K Rajat, Sarvesh Upadhyay, and Shashak Rai[5][6] and produced by Pradeep Gupta, Shashank Raai, Mahima Gupta under the banner of Pinaka Studios Pvt Ltd and Mahima Productions.[7] The series was premiered on May 28, 2020 on OTT platform MX Player.[8] Kranti Prakash Jha has said that there will be a second season.[9][4]

Plot

Raktanchal is set in the 1980s of Purvanchal and is inspired by the true events. It is the story of Waseem Khan (played by Nikitin Dheer) who rules the tender mafia in Purvanchal, Uttar Pradesh, who is also involved in the smuggling of arms and ammunition. The story revolves around Vijay Singh (played by Kranti Prakash Jha) and Waseem Khan, who are constantly at loggerheads and leading to a series of bloodbaths.[3]

Khan is challenged by the antihero Vijay Singh, who held high morals and wanted to become a civil servant until Khan's gang murdered his father Virendra Singh (played by Gyan Prakash). While Vijay is determined to take revenge of his father's murder, who was killed by Waseem's company, while Waseem is determined to hold on to his power come what may.[3]

Cast

• Nikitin Dheer as Waseem Khan
• Kranti Prakash Jha as Vijay Singh
• Soundarya Sharma as Roli
• Ronjini Chakraborty as Seema
• Chittaranjan Tripathy as Bechan
• Pramod Pathak as Tripurari
• Vikram Kochhar as Sanki Pandey
• Krishna Bisht as Katta
• Basu Soni as Chhunnu
• Rajesh Dubey as Sadhu Maharaj
• Kenisha Awasthi as Bindu
• Shashi Chaturvedi as Bilal
• Pravina Bhagwat Deshpande as Sudha (Vijay's mother)
• Ravi Khanvilkar as Pujari Singh
• Prachi Prakash Kurne as Badki
• Farah Malik as Fazila
• Daya Shankar Pandey as Sahib Singh
• Bhupesh Singh as Irshad
• Sushil Kr. Srivastav as Hifazat
• Gyan Prakash as Virendra Singh (Vijay's father)

Marketing and release

The web series's official trailer was launched on May 24, 2020 by MX Player on YouTube.[10] It is streaming on OTT Platform MX Player from May 28, 2020.[8]

Reception

The series received positive reviews from critics, who praised its performances.[5] Ronak Kotecha, editor-in-chief of The Times of India gave three-and-a-half of five stating , "With powerful performances and bloody face-offs, Raktanchal has enough ammo to keep you engaged through all nine episodes."[11]

Amir Khollam writing for Republic World says,"The series overall follows an unpredictable and gripping tone leaving less time to have any dull moments."[12]

Ruchi Kaushal of Hindustan Times said, "In this world where an eye for an eye has been making the whole world blind, stirring performances are the key. Kranti Prakash Jha plays his part well as a lanky gang leader and carries Raktanchal on his shoulder. His character reminded me of Jimmy Sheirgill's Rangbaaz Phirse for its IAS-aspirant- turned gangster story. While Jimmy's charm worked wonders in that show, Kranti also does justice to his role. Besides him, Vikram Kocchhar is one actor who brings a smile with his twisted portrayal of coal mafia."

Scroll.in's chief editor Nandini Ramanath reviewed "The leads are well cast, with each playing to their strengths.".[5] Prathyush Parasuraman writing for Film Companion gave a mixed review and said "there is a lot of violence. And to be honest, I am quite tired of it."[13]

In August 2020, Raktanchal crossed 100 million views on MX Player.[7] In October 2020, Raktanchal was included in the list of Best series on MX Player, released by Indian Express.[14]

References

1. "Raktanchal: A Binge-Worthy Revenge Drama Set In The 80s". The Quint. May 29, 2020.
2. Shekhar, Mimansa (May 28, 2020). "Raktanchal actor Kranti Prakash Jha: Have never done a character like Vijay Singh". Indian Express.
3. "Raktanchal - An MX Original Series". The Times of India. 2020.
4. "'Raktanchal' second season to release soon on MX Player". The Times of India. September 7, 2020.
5. Ramnath, Nandini (May 28, 2020). "'Raktanchal' review: Tenders and brutality in web series set in eastern Uttar Pradesh". Scroll.in.
6. "Raktanchal: The high-on-drama-and-action gangster series for a weekend binge-watch". India Today. May 30, 2020.
7. "Raktanchal crosses 100 mn views on MX Player". United News of India. August 24, 2020.
8. Shaiwala, Alifiya (May 22, 2020). "Raktanchal Web Series Release Date: Nikitin Dheer's Crime Drama To Release On May 28, 2020". Republic TV.
9. "जल्द आएगी रक्तांचल 2, बनारस में होगी सीजन 2 की शूट‍िंग" (in Hindi). Aaj Tak. July 4, 2020.
10. Sharma, Priyanka (May 26, 2020). "Raktanchal trailer: Of tender mafia and the battle for power". Indian Express.
11. "Raktanchal Season 1". The Times of India. May 28, 2020.
12. Khollam, Amir (May 29, 2020). "'Raktanchal' Review: Is The Latest MX Player Crime Series Worth A Watch?". Republic World.
13. Parasuraman, Prathyush (May 28, 2020). "Raktanchal On MX Player Review: What Do We Do With Another Violent Cocktail Of Religion, Politics, and the Mafia?". Film Companion.
14. Shekhar, Mimansa (October 14, 2020). "Best series on MX Player: High, Aashram, Raktanchal, Bhaukaal and others". Indian Express.

External links

• Raktanchal at IMDb