We all know how despite having produced such quality content internationally, when it comes to India, Netflix’s content has been mostly below average. However, in 2022, Netflix’s first season of Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein offered us a refreshing departure from the typical content flooding the streaming platform. Due to its unique concept, strong performances, and unexpected twists, the show became a standout thriller and earned quite some popularity among audiences as well as critics.
Season 1: A Dark Romantic Thriller
Season 1 introduces us to Vikrant Singh Chauhan (Tahir Raj Bhasin), a young man trapped in a suffocating web of love and obsession spun by Purva (Anchal Singh), the daughter of a powerful and ruthless politician, Akheraj Awasthi (Saurabh Shukla). The story, set in a fictional town in Uttar Pradesh, shows us the grim interplay of power, money, and love. Vikrant is a simple young man with a simple dream – finding a proper job and getting settled with his college sweetheart, Shikha Aggarwal (Shweta Tripathi Sharma). But when Purva, a girl who was obsessed with him since childhood returns to his life after many years, his life turns upside down.
Season 1 delivers us an edge-of-the-seat experience, keeping viewers hooked with its unpredictable plot twists and an intense storyline. The writing, led by Sidharth Sengupta, Anahata Menon, Umesh Padalkar and Varun Badola, they show successfully balances tension with occasional comic relief, provided by Vikrant’s fictional daydreams and his perverted childhood friend Golden (Anant Joshi).
Tahir Raj Bhasin’s performance brings vulnerability and intensity to Vikrant, and we viewers do manage to sympathize with his claustrophobic plight. Anchal Singh’s Purva is equally compelling, and the actress manages to pull off her character quite well- showing us her menace without veering into caricature. Shweta Tripathi captures the strength and vulnerability of Shikha beautifully, and her chemistry with Tahir is convincing as well. Meanwhile, Saurabh Shukla’s portrayal of Akheraj is chilling, adding tension to the screenplay.
To put it shortly, Season 1 crafts a gripping tale of love and obsession, and does it quite well, giving us an edge of the seat experience. The iconic title track’s recreation Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein further ties the series to its 90s Bollywood roots. However, while the plot does offer you a thrilling ride, it’s hard to sympathize with the main characters due to the choices they’re forced to make. Most likely the writers don’t want the audiences to empathize with the characters in the first place, which is why they are shown with grey shades.
Season 2: A Shift in Tone
Season 2 picks up directly from Season 1’s cliffhanger but unfortunately, it suffers from nearly a three-year long gap between the releases, and so you might find it hard to recall some of the details of the storyline. While the first season’s romantic-thriller vibe was its defining feature, Season 2 becomes more of an action-thriller, which is definitely surprising. It does offer an edge of the seat experience, but the experience feels quite different. By the time you reach the fifth episode, you might be slightly annoyed and frustrated and feel for the main character- Because after everything that he endures, he just keeps ending up in the same situation. Although the series doesn’t disappoint, the show has some unrealistic moments, which might make you ask yourself – “How is this even possible” multiple times throughout the show.
The story continues to become extremely chaotic as the main characters, including Vikrant and Shikha, make questionable decisions that often blurs the lines between protagonist and antagonist. However, the twists and turns remain gripping enough to hold attention, and it eventually leads us to a messy yet shocking ending that leaves audiences looking forward to a third season.
Final Thoughts
Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein is definitely something new and fresh that we rarely see on Netflix or Bollywood. The writers have done quite a commendable job of keeping viewers engaged with its theme of love and obsession with intense screenplay and unpredictable twists. For fans of pulpy 90s Bollywood romantic thrillers and dark psychological dramas, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhen is worth the watch. It might have a few flaws, but regardless, the series offers us plenty of entertainment with a lot of suspense. Let’s just hope that Season 3—if it happens—doesn’t take another three years to arrive!
