Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas (2025) – Raw Serial Killer Thriller Rooted in Real Horror

Hello, movie lovers! In this blog post I'm plunging into shadowy streets and unflinching pursuits with Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas (2025), directed by Deepak Mishra. Starring Arshad Warsi as the dogged DSP Vishwas Bhagwat, Jitendra Kumar as the elusive Sameer, Devas Dikshit as Sub-Inspector Mahto, and Ayesha Kaduskar as the resilient Meera, this crime thriller peels back India's underbelly without the masala gloss. I was riveted from frame one to fade-out, its taut mystery and grounded grit earning a solid 8/10— a rare Indian gem that thrills sans songs or sprawl. Let's stalk the suspense and stark truths.

Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas (2025) - Unvarnished Urban Dread and Dogged Pursuit

Locking eyes on Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas was a gut-punch pivot from rom-fantasy fluff—I craved something raw, and this ZEE5 original delivered a pulse-quickening procedural that hooked me hard. No dragged-out dances or three-hour detours here; at a crisp two hours, it barrels through mystery, manhunt, and courtroom clashes with laser focus, every beat demanding your undivided stare. The visuals? A masterstroke of muted menace—dingy neighborhoods, rain-slicked alleys, and cramped cop stations that feel ripped from real Indian chaos, all shrouded in deliberate darkness that mirrors the story's soul-crushing weight. It's not exaggerated Bollywood bombast; it's naturalistic noir, horrifying in its authenticity, especially knowing it's inspired by true atrocities. That real-life tether amps the terror: the obliviousness of authorities to a predator in plain sight, exploiting crowded anonymity for unspeakable crimes. At 8/10, it's a bold unflinching look at the criminal shadows stalking women in our cities—thought-provoking, terrifying, and triumphantly tense. Perfect for thriller hounds tired of tropes; this one's a stark wake-up that lingers like a bad dream.

The Plot: From Hushed Horrors to Relentless Reckoning

In the teeming undercurrents of a bustling Indian metropolis, DSP Vishwas Bhagwat (Arshad Warsi), a haunted cop wrestling his own demons, stumbles onto a chilling pattern: young women vanishing after matrimonial ads, their trails leading to cyanide-laced betrayals. Teaming with the earnest Sub-Inspector Mahto (Devas Dikshit) and drawing quiet strength from civilian ally Meera (Ayesha Kaduskar), Bhagwat races against bureaucratic blind spots and urban camouflage to unmask a wolf in suitor's clothing—embodied by the slippery Sameer (Jitendra Kumar), whose charm conceals cyanide cunning.

Loosely inspired by the real-life Cyanide Mohan case—a Mangalore serial killer who preyed on marriage-seeking women, luring over 20 victims with false promises before poisoning them in Karnataka from 2003 to 2009— the film fictionalizes the fast-track conviction's frenzy into a taut tapestry of overlooked leads and late awakenings. Themes of systemic apathy, gendered vulnerability, and justice's jagged edge unfold across fogged forensics labs, frantic stakeouts, and a searing courtroom climax, all without a whiff of melodrama. Deepak Mishra's script, drawing from those horrifying headlines where 20 lives were snuffed before the dots connected, probes how crowded chaos cloaks killers— a 120-minute spiral from eerie vanishings to visceral vindication that grips like a vice. No prior chapters needed; this launches a potential series with standalone savagery, blending procedural punch with poignant realism.

Performances That Pierce the Shadows

Arshad Warsi redefines grit as Bhagwat, shedding comic sheen for a brooding brute whose brutal interrogations and bottled rage feel painfully plausible—flawed, forceful, and fiercely compelling, he embodies the cop who's equal parts savior and storm. Jitendra Kumar slinks into Samir with chilling subtlety, his everyman facade masking psychopathic poise; it's a villainous pivot that unnerves, turning Pankaj Tripathi vibes into venomous guile. Devas Dikshit brings wide-eyed urgency to Mahto, the rookie foil who humanizes the hunt, while Ayesha Kaduskar's Meera infuses quiet defiance, her scenes a stark spotlight on survival's toll. In a film of moral grays, their ensemble simmers with authenticity—no hammy heroics, just haunted souls scraping truth from the muck.

A Stark Spin on India's True-Crime Shadows

Deepak Mishra (Mirzapur vibes meet Drishyam's deduction) forges a fresh vein in Indian thrillers, ditching songbreaks for shadowy authenticity—inspired by Cyanide Mohan's cyanide courtship killings, it echoes global serial sagas like The Frozen Ground but roots deep in desi desolation: no glossy glamour, just grimy police outposts and matrimonial classifieds as kill lures. The real case's horror—20 women poisoned for dowry delusions, bodies buried in backwoods till a 2009 bust—fuels a narrative that skewers complacency without sensationalism; visuals lean into nocturnal noir, scored to a sparse, sinister hum that amplifies alleyway echoes. Unique in its unheroic lens on law enforcement—brutal beats balanced by breakthroughs—it evolves the genre from vigilante veneers to visceral verité, a chapter one that spotlights the unseen epidemics endangering half our streets. It's a gritty gut-check for Bollywood's bold fringe, proving restraint can rend deeper than excess.

Ratings and Critical Reception

IMDb: 7.2/10 (from 7,000 users). No Rotten Tomatoes score yet—early streaming days on ZEE5.

User love skews high for the taut tension and topical terror, praising its break from formula, while early whispers hint at critic quibbles over familiarity. My 8/10 aligns with the crowd's chill— the raw realness outweighed any echoes.

A Minor Critique: Finale Lacks Final Bite

My only issue? The final act shifts into a predictable courtroom drama that flattens the mounting tension, turning sharp procedural edges into familiar procedural beats without the gut-punch payoff the buildup deserves. Still, it doesn't derail the dread.

A Riveting Revelation for Thriller Truth-Seekers

At 8/10, Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas is a unflinching unflashing of India's infernal undercurrents—must-stream for its mystery muscle and mirror to the macabre. Bhagwat's brutal ballet against the beast within society stirred my unease into admiration for cops who claw through the cruel. A chapter worth chasing.

What did you think of Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas? Did the shadows swallow you whole, or did the finale fade the fear? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and here's the big one: suggest a movie for my next review! I'm hooked on hard-hitting procedurals. If you enjoyed this post, please like, follow, and share so you don’t miss the next manhunt. Thanks for joining me—see you in the next one!