5 Reasons to Watch Arshad Warsi’s 'Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas' on ZEE5
A weary cop, a quiet town, and a case that blurs the line between justice and obsession.
This article is in collaboration with ZEE5.
Arshad Warsi and Jitendra Kumar come together in Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas, a crime thriller that looks beyond the chase and into the people caught within it. Directed by Akshay Shere, the film is set in the quiet, uneasy lanes of Robertsganj, where a single missing person case begins to expose an entire town’s buried secrets. Here are five reasons why it’s worth a watch.
Arshad Warsi Returns as a Cop After 20 Years
Two decades after Sehar (2005), Arshad Warsi steps back into uniform, but this time his cop isn’t a poster boy for justice. Inspector Vishwas Bhagwat is worn, conflicted, and dangerously human. It’s a rare chance to see Warsi sink his teeth into a role that balances rage and restraint, proving why his dramatic range deserves far more screen time.
Jitendra Kumar’s Darkest, Most Unpredictable Role Yet
Known for his warmth in Panchayat and Kota Factory, Jitendra Kumar turns that very familiarity on its head. As Sameer, a seemingly quiet professor with secrets he would rather bury, Kumar slips into morally grey territory for the first time. It’s unsettling, layered, and the kind of role that reminds you how stillness can sometimes be more terrifying than chaos.
A Slow-Burn Thriller That Peels in Layers
What begins as a missing-person case in Robertsganj unfolds into something far more chilling, a web of disappearances, deceit, and darkness. Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas doesn’t chase shock value; it earns it. Each clue builds on the last, rewarding patient viewers with a story that grips tighter the longer you watch.
Small-Town Realism That Hits Close to Home
This isn’t a stylised noir pretending to be small town India, it feels like it. From dimly lit police stations and chai stalls to the quiet complicity of bystanders, the film gets the texture right. Director Akshay Shere’s lens captures the kind of realism that makes you uneasy because it’s too familiar. You don’t just watch Robertsganj, but actually feel its claustrophobia, its silences, and the secrets buried beneath them.
A Fresh Director Backed by a Strong Creative Team
Akshay Shere directs Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas with the assurance of someone who knows exactly what story he wants to tell. There’s no rush to impress, no overplaying of drama. The writing by Bhavini Bheda and dialogues by Sumit Saxena give the film its quiet tension, while Amogh Deshpande’s camera stays close to the world it builds. Together, they craft a thriller that’s precise, patient and self-assured — the kind that earns your attention rather than demanding it.