Khakee: The Bengal Chapter Season 2 is a thrilling addition to the crime drama series. I was looking forward to watching it on Netflix and sinking into the universe Neeraj Pandey had crafted. He rarely disappoints when it comes to high-stakes crime thrillers. The series is a continuation of the Khakee franchise, which began with Khakee: The Bihar Chapter. It features a strong cast, including Jeet as IPS officer Arjun Maitra, Prosenjit Chatterjee as Barun Roy, and Ritwik Bhowmik and Aadil Zafar Khan as the ambitious gangsters Sagar and Ranjit.
The story takes us to Kolkata, where we witness a fictional tale of crime, corruption, and power struggles. This season shifts away from the real-life events that were the foundation of Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, opting instead for a fictionalized narrative set in West Bengal. The IPS officer Arjun Maitra, portrayed by Jeet, is entrusted to combat organized crime and corruption within Kolkata. He confronts Barun Roy(Prosenjit Chatterjee), a politician with strong roots in crime, and two enterprising gangsters, Sagar(Ritwik Bhowmik) and Ranjit(Aadil Zafar Khan). Though the setup looks promising, the implementation did not have any novelty to it. It was a good thriller with hardly any plot twists.
The direction by Debatma Mandal is satisfactory but unremarkable—it doesn’t elevate the material beyond what’s written on paper.I want to get goosebumps in edge of the seat thrillers. The cinematography by Tushar Kanti Ray deserves credit for seizing the grit and vitality of Kolkata accurately. However, I personally thought that the music was lacking, and did nothing to heighten significant moments. The series touches upon themes of power, corruption, and moral ambiguity. These themes fall short of being deeply developed, but do lend some substance.
The performances are a bright spot within this series. The performers do good work in bringing their roles to life, even when the script doesn’t give them enough depth or originality. Jeet plays Arjun Maitra, a no-nonsense cop determined to clean up Kolkata’s streets. He is solid and convincing in his performance. Prosenjit Chatterjee is definitely one of the centerpieces of this season. As Barun Roy, he is charismatic and menacing in equal proportion. His act of being a politician who manipulates individuals and systems for his own benefit is brilliant. Also, the gangster pair of Sagar and Ranjit inject some vigor into the show. Ritwik Bhowmik acts Sagar with calm confidence, whereas Aadil Zafar Khan adds intensity into Ranjit’s mercurial nature. Their chemistry translates to screen so well.
In summary, Khakee: The Bengal Chapter Season 2 is a recommended crime thriller that is relatively entertaining, but does not provide an incredible or memorable experience. Although the performances from Jeet, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Ritwik Bhowmik, and Aadil Zafar Khan do help maintain some interest, the easily predictable narrative and slow pace do impact the level of engagement. If you like crime dramas with multi-layered narratives and nuanced characters, there is less complexity here than expected. After completing season 1, I was simply anticipating a more significant development from the show makers.