Crime Beat Review: A Shallow Depiction of Media’s Decline and the Nexus Between Politics and Crime

By Shanti Swaroop Tripathi

• Rating: 1.5 Stars
• Producers: Rajeev Ramesh Agarwal, Arvind Kumar Agarwal, Manju Ramesh Agarwal
• Showrunner: Sudhir Mishra
• Writer: Based on the book " Price You Pay" by Somnath Batabyal”
• Directors: Sudhir Mishra and Sanjeev Kaul
• Cast:  Saqib Saleem, Rahul Bhat, Saba Azad, Danish Husain,  Rajesh Tailang, Sai Tamhankar, Adinath Kothare, Kishore Kadam, and others
• Episodes: 8 episodes, ranging from 27 to 33 minutes each, with a total runtime of around four hours
• OTT Platform: ZEE5, available from February 21

Stories of the criminal-political nexus are nothing new, and films like New Delhi Times have already explored how newspaper editors and journalists compromise their ethics to land the top stories for the front page. Crime Beat, based on Somnath Batbyal’s book "Prize You Pay", brings together these two themes. But watching this web series, one gets the feeling that the creators, including the writers and directors, lack a proper understanding of journalism, crime reporting, or the workings of politics and law enforcement. In one scene, crime reporter Abhishek is peeking into a house when a criminal arrives, and Abhishek says, "I thought there would be poor children here, so I would teach them." This one line sums up the lack of depth and awareness in the creators’ approach. It's disappointing, especially coming from an experienced director like Sudhir Mishra.

Story

Set in Delhi, the story revolves around Abhishek Sinha (played by Saqib Saleem), a rookie crime journalist who has moved from Varanasi to make a name in investigative journalism. Eager to prove himself, he works under the editor, Amir Akhtar (Danish Husain), who is in desperate need of an explosive front-page story. Meanwhile, Minister Rawat (Vipin Sharma) wants to eliminate a gangster, Binny (Rahul Bhat), with the help of Police Commissioner Uday (Rajesh Tailang). Archana Pandey (Sai Tamhankar) handles the kidnapping operations for Rawat. Maya Mathur (Saba Azad), a fellow journalist, is also vying for a role in the crime beat. While struggling to prove his credibility, Abhishek stumbles upon a major story – tracking the return of the country's most wanted fugitive, Binny Chaudhary. As he delves deeper, Abhishek gets entangled in a web of crime, corruption, and deceit, forcing him to question his own morals and ambitions. Will he emerge victorious with the truth, or will he become another casualty of the dark world he’s trying to expose?

Review

The series feels like a product of inexperienced writing and direction. It's hard to imagine that such a poorly executed series could have been made, especially under the direction of Sudhir Mishra. The script is unnecessarily weak, and at times it feels like the creators don’t even know what they are trying to portray. After watching Crime Beat, it’s hard to believe that it’s directed by Sudhir Mishra – maybe just his name is attached to it. The characters aren’t properly fleshed out, and there is a glaring lack of entertainment. The complex dynamics between the law, police, media, and the underworld aren’t given adequate attention.

The series fails to authentically depict the gritty world of journalism. The constant hunt for front-page exclusives, the cutthroat rivalry among journalists, and the delicate power balance between media, law enforcement, and political forces are barely touched upon.

Acting

Saqib Saleem, playing the role of crime journalist Abhishek, fails to do justice to his character. He seems to have forgotten how to act, with his performance bordering on absurd. Saba Azad, as Maya, does manage to bring a layer of depth and intrigue to her character, adding some mystery to the narrative. Rahul Bhat, playing Binny Chaudhary, does a passable job, but doesn’t convince as a gangster. Sai Tamhankar, portraying Archana Pandey, doesn’t have much to work with, as her character is Danish Husain underdeveloped. Danish Husain’s portrayal of Amir Akhtar leaves a lasting impression, though. Rajesh Tailang and Adinath Kothare also perform adequately.

Sadly, Vipin Sharma, who plays Minister Rawat, is underutilized, and his talent goes to waste.