Duranga is a crime-thriller TV series directed by Pradeeep Sarkar and Aijaz Khan and stars Gulshan Devaiah, Drashti Dhami, Rajesh Khattar, Divya Sheth and Zakir Hussain, alongside other cast members. The series has 9 episodes, each with a runtime of around 30 minutes. The series is the official remake of the 2020 Korean drama series Flower of Evil, starring Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won.
Zee5 describes the series as:
Sammit is the ideal family man. What happens when his wife, inspector Ira’s investigation into a series of murders leads her to him? Has Sammit been living the perfect life or the perfect lie?
– Duranga Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
2020’s Flower of Evil was an excellent show that kept us thriller lovers on our toes. Small clues here and there made us question everything and everyone, and just when we were convinced of who our killer was, the show gave us a rundown of unfathomable manipulation and childhood abuse.
Featuring two amazing actors who gave it their all to the characters of Baek Hee-sung and Cha Ji-won, the K-drama is a must-watch if you’re in the mood to be thrilled, chilled and thoroughly impressed.
Duranga, its official remake, thus has some big shoes to fill. The series starts off on similar tones as its predecessor – a bucket of horror and a good splash of romance to keep us motivated. The Hindi series is almost a scene-by-scene recreation of the K-drama, with things made to fit the Indian context.
To be honest, from the moment the series starts, Duranga walks down the exact same road that Flower of Evil did 2 years ago. For those who loved the original show, you’re going to be a little confused as to the need for another exactly same show – even the layout of Sammit’s house and work floor is similar, if not the same. However, for those who haven’t watched the Korean version, this might just be your show.
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Gulshan Devaiah and Drashti Dhami play the titular characters in the Hindi remake, and Devaiah is probably the perfect Baek Hee-sung, in place of Lee Joon-gi’s chilling portrayal. Dhami, meanwhile, is really great as Ira as well, and she’s the perfect balance of headstrong and soft & lovable. Thus, their characters, too, make for a really good watch. They share good chemistry and excel in their individual roles.
Let’s come to the story – as I mentioned previously, the series doesn’t deviate from the original storyline. But for those who haven’t watched the original, Duranga keeps you invested from its very first moment. It’s twisty and confusing and shines a light on different suspects to throw us off the actual one. However, I can guarantee you that you wouldn’t be able to figure out who is doing it from the first minute.
The true genius of Flower of Evil was throwing us off the scent – it never disclosed the truth till the last minute. That being said, the Korean drama had 16 episodes to build the mystery on thus, we had time to mull over everything and be thrilled for longer. With only 9 episodes to get everything done in, the Hindi remake, obviously, has to thrill, chill and shock us in a shorter runtime (that too, 30 minutes!)
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Considering that, the Duranga’s thrill doesn’t get the time to breathe and let us stew in the mystery. There are some extremely dramatic scenes and moments that didn’t need that much drama, thus, missing out on the subtle shocks that the original gave us. That being said, in its very small runtime, the show creates a commendable amount of mystery to keep the viewers invested.
For first-time watchers, this is going to be fun. It’s taut and twisty enough for a quick binge watch, and the shocks come more or less from the left-field. That being said, for those of you who have watched the original show, you’d realise where the Hindi remake falls short, especially the short runtime, since a show with so many questions needs the proper time to show us all of its secrets without rushing. I also feel like the show couldn’t really bring out the deep emotional moments of the original show, thus feeling just a bit hollow.
The misfortune, however, isn’t the first 8 episodes – it’s the last one. Duranga ends on a cliffhanger, and without spoiling anything, it’s a sad place to end because you just know they want to make a second season of this to make people come back for more. My point is – if you’re going to be done with most of the original show’s essence, you might as well be done with the show by adding an extra episode. But, no – might as well just destroy the last morsel of self-preservation that audiences have.
Summing Up: Duranga
Duranga is a very close remake of Flower of Evil, so much so that it doesn’t really go anything new. Which, I guess, is fine for first-time watchers. Others are simply left to ask why it was necessary, and even though it is fun to watch, it doesn’t hold the same appeal as the original. That being said, at around 4.5 hours, it’s great for a quick binge-watch.
However, if you want to understand the deeper connotations of abuse, trauma and emotions, I’d suggest watching Flower of Evil. The series is available on Netflix.
Duranga is streaming on Zee5.
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