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When you read in newspapers that some bollywood (indian movie industry) folks calling this a wonderful series, u can be half-sure that it will be a pseudo-intellect, pseudo-artistic kind of thing. Heavy British accented dialogues, slow single shot scenes without much care for a story or plot, in two words self-indulgent, melodramatic series without much to enjoy. Most British series are above par in general. But this one... you know, when you dont enjoy something but the movie / series is quite hyped, and u feel u need to "believe" it is good, else u r not an intelligent audience. That's what all the buzz is about I guess. Or may be netflix needed something to be hyped with so much of average and below average content getting rolled out weekly.

Basically, the series is like someone taking a camera and following a crime case, with actors in place of real people - again, a pseudo-documentary. Don't look for meaning, just like the real life in most of the times. Documenatories have plot progression, this one doesn't even have that.

Compare this one to "Innocence Files". A real docu-drama. Watch this Netflix series and it is way way more hard hitting and meaningful, and full of drama. It makes you think about society, human life, spirit. Or for that matter "Unbelievable" to blow your mind in terms of story, acting, nuances of a young person's insecurities etc. Or "Ripley" to slowly burn you into true movie making.

It has nothing to do with the pace, long or short scenes or anything. It is the art of movie making which gets the audience to become part of the story, believing in it and getting involved and enjoying it, feeling the emotions of the characters. This one series, you can praise all you want about cinematography, this that, but it never feels real, it feels pretentious, forced from the word get-go. Melodrama may be one of the reasons. Real-life emotions are much more subtle. One who loves melodrama, then this is the series to watch.

First episode, the first 40 odd mins of the episode, completely skippable, feels forced. Youtube is full of hundreds of real-life body cam footage of arrests and investigation videos, if u want to see real drama, with much better real-life stories, real emotions and subsequent investigation, interrogation and so forth - All single-shot, long, slow paced, but gripping.

I am into second episode and now it is more about how today's school kids are and how difficult it is for a soft investigator (who seems to be dream-walking thru his investigation) to investigate a case involving minors. Meaningless drama without anything to do with a story. More focussed on an array of caricature of characters trying to behave like real-life.

I am stopping in middle of 2nd episode as this much is enough not to waste anymore time on this series.

Only positive is that it is just 4 episodes long, so anyone who may not like it won't waste lot of time.

Wached the movie and u can't ignore but notice from the very first scene that Shahid Kapoor in every scene is trying to impress with his screen presence. Irritating after a point. The screenplay was jumping all over the place in a non-linear confusing way. Yet, director was able to hold it together somehow as the story is interesting. Unlike most hindi movies, it had a story, making one curious, what is in store, what will be the twist. And behold, it had a twist that is very interesting and u admire it for originality. But wait, bollywood movie and originality? So you start wondering is it a lift-off from a Korean movie ! So you search in google and there it is. Original is a Malayalam movie. Even the director is the same.

Now you have to watch the original as the Bollywood version is left with a promise, lot of missed opportunities to make a good movie, kind of spoiling a good story and made into a "hero" Shahid movie. And behold, the original has a great screenplay, wonderful acting by prithviraj and u watch it like a all new gripping movie.

So when you watch the original, all you feel is pity for Bollywood. Just that it is bollywood and its hero culture, style without substance (similar to many telegu movies) formula, overall lack of talent in the mainstream that a good story like this from a malayalam movie by the same director is spoiled into a mediocre one.

Morale of Deva, you give a good movie to bollywood and they will ensure it is made it in to an average one. Drishyam may be the only two movies made reasonably well by copying scene to scene. That's the only way.