One thing we’re not short of in the OTT content space now is gangster dramas. There is so much to watch in this genre that even if you want to watch gangster dramas and nothing else, you won’t run short for a while. So, amidst this abundance, you need something really solid in this genre for it to stand out. Sultan Of Delhi, however, has nothing of the kind. Riddled with stereotypes, bad acting, and childish dialogues, this show, based on the book Sultan Of Delhi by Arnab Ray, struggles to hold the viewer’s attention.

Starring Tahir Raj Bhasin in the lead with Anjumm Shharma, Vinay Pathak, Mouni Roy, Anupriya Goenka, Mehreen Pirzada, and others, the show is created by Milan Luthria and written by Suparn Verma. Here’s our review of the series.

A cliche in every corner

Sultan Of Delhi starts with a rather comical meeting of Delhi’s “kings” in 1965 where a young gangster, Arjun Bhatia (Tahir Raj Bhasin), declares himself their leader. This is meant to be an impactful beginning to get the viewer interested in who Arjun really is. But it does nothing of the sort. Instead, this opening just prepares you for what you know is coming — a violent backstory to justify the protagonist’s ruthlessness.

To that end, we go further back in time to August 1947 when the violence of Partition hits Lahore and teenager Arjun’s filthy rich family. Arjun and his father survive the murderous mob that kills their whole family and make their way to a refugee camp across the border. That’s where young Arjun learns that he must fight for himself through any means necessary, even innovative forms of murder. Meanwhile, Arjun’s father, after losing his entire family and wealth, finds debauchery in destitution. His angry son with a newly discovered penchant for indirect murder, of course, can’t take it and puts a swift end to his father’s story.

Sultan Of Delhi picks up again in 1962 with a grown-up Arjun who is now a mechanic and hurtling at breakneck speed towards becoming a Delhi boy. Well, the gangster version of one anyway. Drunken drag races, Russian roulette with a gun to his head, and corny comebacks establish his badassery. He enters his peak gangster era when he starts working for an unscrupulous rich man with an annoying sense of humour, Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak). Arjun fits in well with his new colleagues until Rajinder Pratap Singh (Nishant Dahiya), a spoilt, arrogant second-generation seth, comes into the picture. He, of course, is the antagonist in Arjun’s life. And like Arjun has a good woman on his side to show his good side to the world, Rajinder has a bad woman on his side to make him do all the bad things he’s too stupid to do on his own. The good woman is in a salwar kameez and wears her long hair down, while the bad woman is in low-cut dresses and sexy sarees and has short, spunky hair. If the visual cues aren’t enough to convince you of how bad this woman is, you will also hear, in the background, an evil woman’s laugh.

This lack of imagination is apparent in the visuals as well. There is nothing in the characters that makes them look or sound authentic. There is nothing in the scenery of the show to establish that this is Delhi from the ’60s. Instead, what we do see are repeated aerial shots of Qutub Minar to keep reminding the viewer that this particular gangster drama is based in Delhi, not Mumbai. We’re different, okay?

Uninspired performances and a draggy story

There’s a whole lot of gore, violence, and over-the-top acting even from the seasoned actors in the Sultan Of Delhi cast. The action, for a gangster show, is just chaotic and does nothing to hold the viewer’s attention. If that wasn’t enough, you will also see a full-blown song sequence or two now and then. Maybe the attempt here was to evoke 90s nostalgia, but it didn’t work.

At a time when the audience is spoilt for choice and is choosing to boost well-nuanced shows like Kohrra and Guns & Gulaabs, bland and simplistic content doesn’t work. The only good thing here is the music in the end credits. Very chic disco vibe.

Sultan Of Delhi is streaming now on Disney+ Hotstar.

Can you watch Sultan Of Delhi with your family? No. There are a few non-aesthetic sexual scenes that will make the most progressive mind cringe.

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