Cast: Kausik Sen, Ronjini Chakraborty, Subhrat Dutt, Gaurav Chakraborty, Sabyasachi Chakraborty, Sauraseni Maitra, Hrishitaa Bhatt, Dibyendu Bhattacharya

Director: Sayantan Ghosh

Ratings: ***1/2

Presented by Ajay Devgn and directed by Sayantan Ghosh, this trilingual series - dubbed in Tamil, Hindi and Bengali, is a crime thriller that has the viewers on the edge of their seats.

The first episode begins off in full filmy style... two police are dramatically saved from death by a phone call as their jeep explodes, Ruby, a pregnant sex worker has been brutally murdered in Kolkata's Munsigunj, a red light area and simultaneously we witness across town, a backpack full of human innards floating in the lake. Then, starts an investigation that keeps your eyes glued to the screen till the end.

The storyline has two parallel tangents, one is of the investigation about the murder of the sex worker in the redlight area and the other is about an outlandish murder mystery in the city of joy. The series revolves around these events which in turn open up a whole new can of worms filled with colled killers and ruthless ruffians.

ZEE 5's Lalbazaar is gripping from the very beginning leaving you guessing what twists and turns it will take next. The dark scenes from brothels and police lockups look so realistic that it gives you goosebumps. Things are not dramatised or over-exaggerated keeping things perfect. Sayantan Ghosh has done a fabulous job in direction, by capturing every detail with utmost precision.

The story is full of twist and turns and it keeps the audience engaged & intrigued in the series. The biggest strong point of Lalbazaar is that it never loses pace at any situation and maintains the curiosity of the viewer from the beginning till the end.

After her riveting performance in Article 15 and numerous web series, actor Ronjini Chakrabarty impresses the audiences with another spectacular show as she gets into the skin of the character of Farzana, a feisty sex worker, who now works as an informer to officer. She is bold, confident and depicts every emotion precisely.

The strong point of the series is the performance of the actors. Sauraseni Maitra as 'inspector Mira' is sharp, active and an inspiration for many girls who believe girls are strong and courageous. Subhrat Dutt as 'Gaurav Dutt' plays the character smoothly and the transition of emotions from scene to scene was commendable.

The supporting actors are also really good at pulling off their characters. Gaurav Chakraborty, Kaushik Sen, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Shantilal Mukherjee and Hrishitaa Bhatt are very neat in their characters and their dialogue delivery is perfect. Everybody has delivered total justice to their characters.

The series uses a colloquial language and this lends a lot of authenticity to the show. Lalbazaar shows Kolkata in a completely different light which is not often explored on screen. The music of the series is average but it acceptable.

Overall, Lalbazaar is a must-watch series to get a realistic feel of crime, thrill, brothels, the life of sex workers, and the highs and lows of a police officer's life. It is a brilliant series with exemplary cinematography and storyline.