Cast: Karanvir Bohra, Priya Banerjee, Teejay Sidhu, Mantra
Director: Karanvir Bohra
Streaming on Zee5
Rating: 3.5/5
One of the most popular faces of the small screen and the latest celeb to join the OTT platform and completely own it is Karanvir Bohra. With his latest offering 'Bhanwar' starring him (Karanvir Bohra), Priya Banerjee, Teejay Sidhu and Mantra on Zee5, the actor has delivered a knockout performance. The eight-episode long series also marks the directorial debut of actor-producer Karanvir Bohra.
Bhanwar is based on the life of a young couple Karanvir Bohra (Ranvir Makhija) and Priya Banerjee (Kanika Makhija). The couple has a shady past and is on the run. As they are trying to hide an enormous sum of money which they have unlawfully landed their hands on, the plan to get a house. They purchase a lavish villa from a suspicious-looking broker, Sam (Teejay Sidhu). However, soon they realise the presence of someone else in the house too.
Bhanwar is a science-fiction thriller that has a gripping storyline with elements of time travel and paranormal activity. The concept of time travel clubbed with paranormal activity hasn't been tried a lot before in Indian web-series. This adds a touch of suspense and excitement as we start watching the series. The plot, the twists-and-turns keep us engaged throughout.
The complete series was shot amidst the lockdown with minimal crew and just 6 actors inside a house. We must give it to Karanvir Bohra and his team for attempting something of this magnitude during such testing times with limited resources and time crunches. The leads, Karanvir Bohra and Priya Banerjee give a stellar performance and impress us with their screen presence & chemistry. Actors Teejay Sidhu and Mantra too have left a mark.
As a first-time director, Karanvir Bohra seems to be a pro with his directing skills. The VFX, cinematography, and outdoor drone scenes are exemplary. The fact that the series was shot during lockdown doesn't come off as an obstacle on screen. Special mention must be made of the background score which holds the plot together in an enthralling manner.
There were a few areas where we felt that it needed more finesse. At times, one also feels that the series could have been made even shorter which would have made the plot shine more. But considering it was totally shot during the lockdown period and with minimum resources, we can easily choose to ignore it. All in all, Bhanwar is something you must add to your weekend binge-watch list.
