Creator and director Vikramaditya Motwane presents a very gritty picture of the deeply horrifying situations where it is very difficult for a prisoner to reform.
Black Warrant (Hindi), 10-01-2025, Action, Drama, 7 episodes16+, OTT
- Main Cast: Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Paramvir Singh Cheema, and Anurag Thakur
- Director: Vikramaditya Motwane, Satyanshu Singh, Rohin Raveendran Nair, and Arkesh Ajay
- Producer: Andolan Films, Applause Entertainment, and Confluence Media
- Music Director: Ajay Jayanthi
- Cinematography: Saumyananda Sahi
- Rating: 4/5
For those who are not aware Vikramaditya Motwane’s latest work is based on the novel of the same name Black Warrant.
It was written by a jailer about the notorious functioning of the Tihar Jail set in the 80’s.
The novel explores the intricate power structure and the various hierarchies based on both caste and religion.
Synopsis
In this web series adaption of the novel Zahan Kapoor plays Sunil Gupta, a shy and confused man starting off as a meek person who eventually grows in confidence and becomes a determined jailer wanting to bring reform. And he eventually does succeed as well.
Sunil Gupta is credited with starting Tihar’s first legal aid cell. The series showcases the various experiences of Sunil starting from his meeting with the enigmatic Charles Sobharaj (a charming Siddhant Gupta).
Then you have also got the killers of PM Indira Gandhi among many others. Rahul Bhatt plays the morally grey deputy jailer Tomar. The other important characters are played by Paramveer Cheema and Anurag Thakur.
Strengths of the series
A strong aspect of Black Warrant is the authentic depiction of the prison world with no artificiality. The division of the prisoners based on their caste, religion and money has come out strongly in numerous scenes.
The operation of the numerous gangs within the prison makes the viewers think about the flawed system where there isn’t much scope for reform. The web series also touches upon the plight of innocent prisoners, the category who are a victim of some malicious police officers.
Black Warrant also dwells on how the prisoners are often viewed as inhuman by the jail authorities. There is a brilliant scene involving a research scholar. This person comes to Tihar jail to get a psychological insight into the minds of prisoners. As a response an inmate says “Why do you want to do research on people like us struck in a cage are we animals?”
To this, the character says, “I am researching to prove you people are not animals.” This perfectly sums up the general attitude of the jail authorities. There is a deeply disturbing portion when Sunil along with his colleagues finds out about a senior jailor making money by depriving the prisoners of their basic needs.
Strong characterisation
Another big strength of Black Warrant is the characterization of Zahan Kapoor. The character of Sunil starts off as a vulnerable young man who in no way looks like a tough jailor capable of controlling the prison inmates but as the series progresses we see Sunil getting more confident.
There is a palpable determination in the way he wants to bring out prison reforms. Zahan does a very good job of bringing out these nuances. The young actor proves that he is truly worthy of the illustrious Kapoor lineage.
The web series also dwells on how the lives of Jailers aren’t very glamorous at least back in the 80’s. There is an important scene where Sunil’s father tells his son to not reveal his profession while seeing a prospective bride, however, Sunil doesn’t follow his father’s advice, instead, he talks about his profession with absolute honesty.
Black Warrant also works due to the way the other important characters have been written with utmost care. Both Anurag Thakur and Paramveer Cheema also have solid graphs. The camaraderie shared between the characters isn’t hammered in; still, it works strong when required.
Many of the subplots in the web series are inspired by real-life incidents from the times of Indira Gandhi’s government. Certain capital punishments reflect deeply entranced class and casteist biases.
Then you also have the prisoners belonging to a more affluent part of the prison. A serial killer is seen roaming free; there is also an instigator of murder getting plenty of time to have romantic meetings. Apart from these you also have the arrest of JNU Students. There is a hilarious scene exposing the incompetent nature of jail staff.
Technical aspects and performances
Saumyananda Sahi’s cinematography is another major plus. He does a very good in recreating both the 80’s atmosphere and also the grittiness of the prison portions.
Apart from Zahan Kapoor’s breakthrough performance the show also benefits from Rahul Bhatt’s stellar turn. As a mostly self-serving boss with moments of genuine empathy for his fellow men Rahul Bhatt is simply fantastic.
Sidhant Gupta in the role of Charles Sobhraj has brief screen time but the young actor makes his presence amply felt. He perfectly captures the body language starting from the accented dialogue delivery.
The women characters in Black Warrant are mostly relegated to the background except for Rajshri Deshpande— as the firebrand reporter. This is only the slight flaw of the web series.
Final take
Overall Black Warrant is a must-watch for those who like gritty stories based on real-life incidents.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha)
