Director: Prosit Roy
Rating: ***
Released yesterday, June 12, 2026, on Prime Video, Raakh is a dark, heavy, and meticulously crafted 8-episode investigative thriller. Directed and produced by Prosit Roy (Pari, Paatal Lok) and co-directed/written by Sandeep Saket and Anusha Nandakumar, the series tackles one of the most chilling chapters in Indian criminal history.
Loosely based on the infamous 1978 Ranga-Billa case, the show departs from the slick, fast-paced tropes of modern streaming to deliver a grueling, slow-burn anatomy of a tragedy that deeply scarred a generation.
The Story & Script
Set in the late 1970s, the narrative begins when two teenagers, Suman (Divya Sharma) and Sahil (Vivaan Sharma), vanish on their way to participate in a program at All India Radio. Their parents, schoolteacher Roma (Sonali Bendre) and senior army officer Lt. Col. Ashok Arora (Aamir Bashir), wait anxiously as evening turns to a horrific night.The investigation falls into the lap of Sub-Inspector Jayprakash 'JP' Jatav (Ali Fazal), an earnest young cop from a lower caste who is trying to study for his promotional exams. The script follows JP’s grueling, nationwide manhunt as he traces the escalating trail of destruction left behind by two depraved criminals: the psychotic, manipulative Babu (Akash Makhija) and his reluctant but codependent partner Rajjo (Ramandeep Yadav).
The writing expertly highlights the historical reality of 1978 law enforcement—a time before cell towers, CCTV, and digital footprints, where policing relied entirely on rotary phones, manual forensics, and exhausting footwork.
Direction & Screenplay
Prosit Roy brings his signature atmospheric dread to the screen. The screenplay utilizes a complicated, non-linear structure, constantly shifting between the timeline of the abduction and the parallel progress of the police procedural.However, Raakh is a demanding watch. The pacing is a textbook definition of a slow-burn, occasionally stretching into territory that critics have called "painstakingly slow." Furthermore, the show has drawn sharp polarization for its extreme, uncompromised depiction of violence. While some reviewers praise Roy for showcasing the pure, unvarnished "banality of evil" without giving the killers a sympathetic backstory, others have criticized the series for crossing the line into gratuitous gore and sensationalism.
Performances
Ali Fazal: Fazal delivers a career-best, masterfully restrained performance as SI Jayprakash. Burdened by the weight of a horrific crime and navigating a deeply biased bureaucratic system, he brings a wounded, desperate ferocity to his search that anchors the entire series.Aamir Bashir & Sonali Bendre: The grieving parents provide the emotional core of the series. Bashir’s raw, explosive breakdowns are devastating, while Sonali Bendre delivers a masterclass in silent grief, portraying a mother trapped in a zombie-like state of psychological denial.
Akash Makhija & Ramandeep Yadav: As the terrifying abductors, the two actors are exceptionally good at making themselves utterly despicable. Makhija, in particular, is chilling as Babu, channeling a unique, bright-eyed madness that avoids typical "psychotic villain" clichés.
Rakesh Bedi: In a wonderful bit of casting, Bedi plays JP’s father, Ghanshyam, a retired low-level constable who brings warmth to the dark universe by cooking food for the officers—earning him the nickname "Muttonwale Bauji."
Technical Craft
Cinematography & Atmosphere: The show captures a bygone, eerie era of Delhi. The sprawling, dimly lit stretches of the Ridge area look menacing, blanketed in a dust-and-shadow palette that makes danger feel poised around every corner.Forensic Precision: The series spends significant time focusing on the early days of forensic investigation in the Delhi Police, documenting tire tracking and blood matching with acute historical accuracy.
