Kankhajura review: Roshan Mathew, Mohit Raina shine in an unsettling crime thriller with a social message

Reunions are not always easy, candy, or titillating. Generally, when two individuals meet after extra than a decade, emotions unfold most surprisingly. Whereas some may no doubt feel the everlasting happiness of meeting their members of the family after a truly long time, others may return to their appreciated one’s lives with malicious motives disguised within the succor of a disguise of virtue. This is precisely what Chandan Arora’s sequence Kankhajura seeks to capture for its viewers.

Kankhajura, which actually translates to “centipede,” a sneaky minute troublemaker that crawls in quietly, hides in gloomy corners, and reveals up whilst you least request it. It is an horny metaphor for Ashu (played by Roshan Mathew), when he enters the aloof and contented lifetime of his brother Max (played by Mohit Raina) after 14 years of imprisonment, it sparks a cascade of buried secrets, unresolved trauma, and creepy emotions.

Released on May 30, 2025 on SonyLiv, Kankhajura is an 8-episode crime thriller and the Indian adaptation of the 2019 Israeli describe Magpie. The Indian version explores the chronicle of two brothers – siblings who're stark opposites and the way their particular individual picks shape and fracture their lives.

Space and Theme

The sequence opens with a shot of two individuals mendacity within the identical jail cell. Whereas one is attempting to sleep, the diversified cries continuously. Irritated by his cellmate’s sobbing, the first man tries to delivery a conversation—handiest to gape that the crying prisoner is none diversified than Ashu! Along with his aloof, manipulative abilities, Ashu, good contend with a kankhajura, worms his means into the man’s suggestions and will get him to admit his possess crime. And now you realize why the sequence is titled Kankhajura!

The distance revolves spherical Ashu’s return. Following his liberate, Max pretends to portion a brotherly bond and lets Ashu into his perfect and gratifying lifestyles. Small did Max know, the coming days would upend his total existence. Over the next seven episodes, murders happen one after one more. Some lives are destroyed, others hang within the steadiness. Max and his conclude ones contend with Ashu contend with a punching earn, at the same time as he quietly seeks their approval.

Whereas the sequence delivers quite a lot of abdominal-turning twists and suspense, it also touches on a a should-delight in social direct, i.e. bullying. But who bullied whom, and at what impress, is one thing you’ll should describe by watching the sequence.

Performances

Coming to performances, Mohit Raina and Roshan Mathew articulate standout roles. With intense emotional vary, both actors breathe lifestyles into their characters. Roshan Mathew serves as the describe’s gloomy, throbbing core. His portrayal of Ashu is a masterclass in psychological complexity – manipulative, calculating, yet naive. He offers audiences every motive to essentially feel one thing for him, i.e. sympathy, disgust, and even rage. In some unspecified time in the future of the sequence, it feels as if what’s occurring on display is unfolding in proper lifestyles.

If Mathew is the describe’s beating coronary heart, Mohit Raina is the usual pulse that keeps it titillating. Mohit nails the efficiency and fits into Max’s character contend with a jigsaw puzzle. On the opposite hand, the feminine characters, played by Sarah Jane Dias, Heeba Shah, and Usha Nadkarni delight in diminutive display time. Whereas their roles had been titillating and had potential, they didn’t derive the dignity they deserved. On the diversified hand, Trinetra Haldar, irrespective of handiest just a few scenes, left a lasting affect with her sure and solid presence.

Verdict

Kankhajura explores the crooked dynamics between two brothers who're poles apart. Whereas the first few episodes may no doubt feel disjointed attributable to quick transitions between previous and newest, the chronicle frequently stabilises. Roshan Mathew and Mohit Raina retain the stage with extremely efficient performances, making sure viewers remain zigzag until the tip.

Whereas it could most likely well not qualify as a in fact perfect 10/10 crime thriller, Kankhajura is a considerate, character-driven drama with sufficient intrigue and emotional depth to withhold you invested sometime of the sequence.

Rating: 3