Arjun Rampal starrer London Files emanates on the ‘Chaos and disorder’ factor, that leads the plot to play
London Files dwells on the most tainted political predicament of the United Kingdom, the anti-immigration law, that would leave the immigrants in uncertainty. However, the whimsical procession of human consciences, portrayed within the flawed characters emanated from the ‘Chaos and disorder’ factor as in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where the weird sisters trick the tragic hero into believing the illusion of their predictions, and here it is Gopi aka Gopal Dutt, a deep-rooted-cult, who fights against the administration to ensure that the voices of immigrants in the UK are heard.
Directed by Sachin Pathak, London Files begins on a mystic curl, filled with unpredictabilities, with Arjun Rampal aka detective Om Singh and his wife are throwing a surprise birthday party for their 14-year-old boy Yash. But it unveils a precarious demeanour with phone calls on the celebrants at the party, leaving viewers hooked on it, without getting a subtle hint on what’s escalating after the phone call, as the scene flies 2 years forward to the present.
The six-episode dramatisation escalates with Om Singh having suffered from depression and is an addict, who gets propelled by his superior Ranjh Randhawa to lead the investigation of the disappearance of Maya aka Medha Rana, who plays the daughter of media baron Amar Roy aka Purab Kohli, who is in trouble with endless threats and false sexual harassment cases, for he is in support of the anti-immigration law.
However, while the first two slots look really promising with the in-depth treatment of the plot play and flashbacks, it becomes a bit dragged in some sequences, almost making it a sudoku puzzle. While Arjun Rampal definitely didn’t lag behind with his terrific work but his unnecessary hideous wig in the flashbacks definitely disappoints the viewers.
Also, the unempathetic usage of Hindi amidst the English colleagues makes it a bit unrealistic, yet intimidating. And what kept us glued to the screen and continued to keep an extra beat in our hearts is the cinematography and the subtle treatment of the background music made it a perfect psychological muse to watch.
Arjun Kapoor flawlessly gets into Om Singh’s shoes in the series, led a terrific job with his rustic voice, and definitely, his intense eyes did the magic! While we unquestionably wanted more of Purab Kohli in the show, who shares the screen with Arjun Rampal once again post Rock on, does a wonderful job too, successfully attempts to make viewers think that he is behind his daughter’s disappearance. TVF’s infamous Gopal Dutt aka Gopi successfully keeps the very aesthetics of the tight screenplay written by Prateek Payodhi, with his fuzzy motives. And so do the other supporting actors who carried out a pioneering role play in the show going beyond the perfections.
On the last note, London Files definitely romps on viewers’ minds with its tricky screenplay and mastered direction; an indisputable thriller and suspense to binge on.
IWMBuzz rates the series 3.5 out of 5 stars.