Rudra review: Ajay Devgn’s web series is gripping but dark; not for the faint of heart

Bollywood superstar Ajay Devgn is extremely versatile, but you can’t deny that most fans see him as an ‘action hero’. So when it was announced that he will be portraying the role of an intense, badass cop in his web debut Rudra : The Edge of Darkness, we were all obviously excited. Also starring Esha Deol , Raashii Khanna , Atul Kulkarni and Ashwini Kalsekar, the psychological crime thriller is the Indian adaptation of British TV series Luther and has been backed by Applause Entertainment . Well, the series is now available on Disney+ Hotstar and our review, is ready to help you decide if Rudra is worth your time or not, sans spoilers. The following review is based on the first three episodes. Read on!

The show begins with DCP Rudraveer Singh aka Rudra, played by Ajay, solving yet another case of the Special Crimes Unit successfully. But the way he deals with the criminal gets him into trouble and also gives you an idea of what his beliefs are as a cop. Rudra is dedicated, but also obsessive, which affects his personal life. We are then introduced to his estranged wife Shaila, portrayed by Esha, his co-worker Gautam aka Atul and his boss played by Ashwini. Then there is Raashi, who is seen as a genius but also a psychopath, and is 100% sure that she understands Rudra the most. In fact, she believes that he tends to get absorbed in the darkness he deals with.

There is something special about Ajay Devgn. Even when he’s not jumping out of moving cars and makes a regular entry, his walk and charisma make it difficult for you to look away. The only thought that crosses your mind is ‘now that’s what a hero look like’! Ajay aka Rudra is intense and has a powerful screen presence. His action scenes are quite believable, but sadly the same is not the case with emotional scenes featuring the actor and his on-screen wife Esha. These shots look rigid and sometimes even seem staged, which they are but the audience should not be able to point that out.

Meanwhile, Atul has done a good job and watching him on-screen is a delight, whereas Ashwini Kalsekar is flawless as the boss! Raashi, on the other hand, will leave you impressed with her twisted character and performance. Coming to the storyline, it is intriguing, unpredictable and leaves you on the edge of your seat. You won’t be able to guess what happens next in Rudra’s world. But what didn’t work for us is how unnecessarily graphic the show got in a few scenes. It tends to get extremely dark and some shots are just grisly and hard to watch. Is there really a need to keep showing us pictures of the murder victims? In fact, this show may not be for those who are faint of heart. No, it’s not a horror show. But it is a psychological thriller which grips you in its twisted story and makes it quite difficult to look away even if you want to.

So there you have it! Rudra is a gripping story but some scenes are too dark to digest. The character works in the Special Crimes Unit but surely the makers could tone down the focus on gruesome details of the cases which come his way. If you don’t see that as a major issue, do watch Ajay’s smashing OTT debut, in and as Rudra. The story is good and his performance will leave you wanting more, wondering what will happen next. However, if you’re not in the mood for something this dark and heavy, which may leave an impact on you, we suggest you give this show a miss.