Kafas Review – Melodramatic but Riveting
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
When a middle-class Mumbai couple let their 15-year-old son pursue his Bollywood dreams, they are shaken to the core to learn that the lead actor abuses the teen. When they decide to take the matter to court, the star’s team offers them a hefty sum to bury the issue. Despite accepting the hush money that affords them several luxuries, the incident slowly tears the family apart. Will they just let it go, or will they get justice for their son?
Mona Singh and Sharman Joshi portray the married couple, Seema and Raghav Vashisht, in the six-episode series “Kafas” directed by Sahil Sangha. The series is an official Indian adaptation of the 2018 BBC mini-series “Dark Money”. Mikhail Gandhi is the stand-out star of the show, playing Sunny Vashisht, the teenager traumatized by abuse, who musters the courage to confide in his parents about his experience. Vivan Bhatena is perfectly cast as super-star Vikram Bajaj, a successful dual-faced man. In the public eye, he is charming and adored, but beneath his charismatic facade lies a ruthless sexual predator.
The plot of “Kafas” takes center stage, with frills-free cinematography featuring straightforward shots and settings. The series begins with a visceral and bloody murder scene, only to rewind seven months back and explain the events leading up to that point. The first episode effectively introduces the main characters and establishes the primary conflict. While the six episodes are largely gripping, the creators slow down the pace of the series by devoting undue attention to the complications arising between Sunny’s parents due to his father’s ex-wife and son.
Mona Singh and Sharman Joshi’s characters, Seema and Raghav, lack chemistry, which actually complements their already strained relationship as a couple. As they struggle to cope with their son’s precarious situation, their differences worsen. However, despite their differences and errors of judgment, their love and support for Sunny is poignant. Tejasvi Singh Ahlawat portrays Shreya Vashisht, Sunny’s older sister who also dreams of becoming an actor. Despite numerous auditions, she fails to land a role, leading to a rift between the siblings. While the desi-fication of the story is well-done, the writing gets too theatrical and melodramatic in between. For instance, in a scene where Seema should be consumed by worry for her son’s well-being, she instead resorts to attacking Raghav’s ex-wife with hurtful jibes.
What “Kafas” excels at is delving into an often overlooked issue: the sexual abuse of underage boys. due Due to the societal taboo surrounding homosexuality in India, many male victims choose to remain silent or are silenced by various forces, including their own circumstances. Mikhail Gandhi delivers a rousing performance as Sunny, a well-mannered sweet boy, who who eagerly enters the world of filmmaking with starry-eyed aspirations, only to have his innocence brutally stripped away by the very person he admired. The creators conclude the show with a somewhat inconclusive ending, yet it leaves the viewers with a sense of hope, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. Overall, “Kafas” is a series that is definitely worth watching.
You can stream the series on Sony Liv.
