Murshid Review: Kay Kay Menon Saves This Emotional Crime Thriller

In Zee5’s latest crime-thriller series, an ex-don comes back to his old hunting grounds after his only son’s life comes in danger. Filled with rage and a sense of revenge, Murshid promises to destroy everything until his son is found. The series has 7 episodes, each with a runtime of around 35 minutes.

Murshid Review

It is an odd day when you feel positively for a don who has previously harmed many people. Kay Kay Menon’s Murshid Pathan is vulnerable as he is ruthless and it’s interesting to watch the actor shine in a series that is otherwise made shabbily. The central plot of the series is a tad bit different, with Murshid coming back to his violent past in order to save his son and isn’t all about bloodshed and a hunger for power. His character’s drive to keep his son alive makes for a positive spin on the tried-and-tested genre, thus making us take an interest in what happens in the end.

First and foremost, the series looks and feels half-baked, the set designs, editing and cinematography are not done well and everything looks just a bit wrong. The finesse is clearly missing and you can spot that from a mile away if you glance in the background of the characters. However, budget issues aside, the series’ restrained take on violence and its central conflicts are interesting and surprisingly refreshing. It’s not every day that you watch a gangster drama where everyone does not scream profanities in every scene and there’s also not much gore here to make you wince.

Restrained and rather clean, the action, thus, is more so surrounding Murshid’s ability to sway people to do his bidding in his difficult time and with his backstory of making a 180-degree change in his life, you also understand why people are so ready to do as he says. Menon’s ability to command the screen helps in the showcase of his character’s hold over Mumbai and that even though he is technically retired, he isn’t out of his depths by any means. On top of that, his vulnerability adds to viewers’ understanding of his point of view – giving his character a moral was probably a great idea for the creators.

I think, however, the series spoonfeeds a lot of backstories to its audience, sometimes shamelessly dumping information while having conversations with others. The exposition dumps feel unnecessary and unnatural and there are moments that it becomes hilarious to witness. However, the conflict between Murshid and Farid is intense and the slow buildup adds to it. The slow-burn way in which Murshid exacts his revenge is delicious and makes for a fun and entertaining watch with thrilling undertones.

But, full disclosure, there’s nothing truly out of this world new about this series – but, unlike others, it doesn’t seem one-dimensional nor does it feel like a rehash of other gangster shows. I think it’s the emotional undertones that set this series apart from others which doesn’t fail to make an impression. All the performances further add to the viewer’s interest but, again, it’s Menon who shines the brightest. In spite of the myriad of characters, we thankfully never deviate from focusing on the protagonist, giving the series a proper direction instead of meandering all over the place.

Final Thoughts

Murshid series isn’t memorable neither is it unique but there’s something about Kay Kay Menon’s don exacting revenge and showing everyone their place that is extremely entertaining. With only 7 episodes, the series has its merits and isn’t too violent to make you cringe. Of course, it comes with its own sets of challenges but considering that the storyline is tight and the characters are interesting, there’s enough to keep you invested.

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