Tharun Sudhir's productions are mostly characterised by intelligent narratives without forced plot points. But Raakshasa has succumbed to an OTT template in which narratives are punctuated with regular twists.
In Savadatti, near Belagavi, people live in fear of a ferocious crocodile in the Malaprabha river. The police receive many missing persons complaints but they can't prove the crocodile is behind the mystery.
When a half-decomposed body is found, its head mysteriously disappears. Sub-inspector Hanumesh (played by Vijay Raghavendra) faces immense pressure to find the head or solve the case.
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Hanumesh is caught between his pregnant wife and his superiors, both demanding his attention. Meanwhile, he is convinced that the case calls for more time and attention.
The series comprises seven episodes, about 20 minutes each.
While at its core, the series is interesting, it is let down by forced 'cliffhangers' towards the end of every episode.
To add to this is Hanumesh's nagging wife Jyothi (Mayuri Kyatari). In a series billed as a psychological crime thriller, Jyothi comes across as a TV serial character; she detracts from the narrative's suspenseful nature.
The only saving grace is Mahadev Hadapad's Beera who delivers a compelling performance.
Raakshasa is a remake of the highly acclaimed Tamil series Vilangu. What is the point of making a subpar adaptation of something already available on the same streaming platform? Doesn't it make better sense just to dub it into Kannada.
(Raakshasa is streaming on Zee5)