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{{short description|Indian TV series by Reema Kagti}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Dahaad poster.jpg
| caption =
| genre = {{ubl|[[Crime fiction|Crime]]| [[Mystery fiction|Mystery]]| [[Thriller (genre)|Thriller]]}}
| creator = {{ubl|[[Reema Kagti]] |[[Zoya Akhtar]]}}
| inspired_by =
| writer =
| screenplay = {{ubl|Reema Kagti| Ritesh Shah| Zoya Akhtar}}
| director = {{ubl|[[Reema Kagti]]| Ruchika Oberoi}}
| cinematography = Tanay Satam
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Sonakshi Sinha]]
* [[Gulshan Devaiah]]
* [[Vijay Varma]]
* [[Sohum Shah]]
}}
| music = {{ubl|Gaurav Raina|Tarana Marwah}}
| country = India
| language = Hindi
| num_seasons =
| num_episodes = 8
| executive_producer =
| producer = {{ubl|Ritesh Sidhwani|Zoya Akhtar|Reema Kagti| Farhan Akhtar|Kassim Jagmagia| Angad Dev Singh| Sunitha Ram}}
| editor = Anand Subaya
| company = {{Plainlist|
* [[Excel Entertainment]]
* [[Tiger Baby Films]]
}}
| network = [[Amazon Prime Video]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2023|05|12|df=yes}}
| last_aired =
}}

'''''Dahaad''''' ({{Translation|Roar}}) is a Hindi-language [[Crime fiction|crime]], [[Thriller (genre)|thriller]] [[web series]] created by [[Reema Kagti]], [[Zoya Akhtar]] and directed by [[Reema Kagti]], Ruchika Oberoi, starring [[Sonakshi Sinha]], [[Gulshan Devaiah]], [[Sohum Shah]], [[Vijay Varma]] in lead roles. Inspired by [[Mohan Kumar (serial killer)|Mohan Kumar]], also known as Cyanide Mohan, a serial killer who preyed on women looking for marriage.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dahaad Web Series (2023) {{!}} Release Date, Review, Cast, Trailer, Watch Online at Amazon Prime Video |url=https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/dahaad-web-series-108188 |website=[[NDTV|Gadgets 360]] |access-date=2 February 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dahaad teaser: Cop Sonakshi Sinha pursues a serial killer who has murdered 27 women. Watch |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/dahaad-teaser-cop-sonakshi-sinha-tasked-with-murder-case-of-27-women-as-serial-killer-looms-large-watch-8576431/ |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=26 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Dahaad is the first ever Indian web series to premiere at [[Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin International film festival]], where it will compete for Berlinale Series Award. The show was streamed on Amazon Prime Video on the 12th of May.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sonakshi Sinha and Vijay Varma's Dahaad becomes first Indian web series to compete in Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/sonakshi-sinha-and-vijay-varma-s-dahaad-becomes-first-indian-web-series-to-compete-in-berlin-international-film-festival-101673876813778.html |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=16 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bureau |first=ABP News |title=Dahaad Becomes India's First Web Series To Premiere At The Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://news.abplive.com/entertainment/web-series/dahaad-becomes-india-s-first-web-series-to-premiere-at-the-berlin-international-film-festival-1576045 |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[ABP News]] |date=16 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Dahaad' Becomes First Indian Series To Be Invited For Screening At Berlinale |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/-dahaad-becomes-first-indian-series-to-be-invited-for-screening-at-berlinale-news-254374 |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook India]] |agency=[[Indo-Asian News Service|IANS]] |date=January 17, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sonakshi Sinha-Vijay Varma starrer 'Dahaad' becomes first Indian webseries to premiere at Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/web-series/sonakshi-sinha-vijay-varma-starrer-dahaad-becomes-first-indian-webseries-to-premiere-at-berlin-international-film-festival-2562321.html |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Zee News]] |date=January 16, 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |title=India Debuts at Berlinale Series With Excel, Tiger Baby's 'Dahaad,' 'Brown' Lands at Series Market Selects |url=https://news.yahoo.com/india-debuts-berlinale-series-excel-125557919.html |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Yahoo! News]] |date=January 16, 2023}}</ref> It received positive reviews.

== Plot ==
In a small village in Rajasthan, Sub-Inspector Anjali Bhaati (Sonakshi Sinha) comes across a case where twenty-seven women have been disappearing without a trace, yet the locals seem unfazed. However, everything changes when Bhaati finds a common thread connecting all cases, leading her to suspect a serial killer may be on the loose. This revelation shifts her attention from unexplained disappearances to a well-planned and calculated scheme.

Anjali, in her thirties, rebels against the traditional background of her village, making it difficult for her mother to find a suitable marriage proposal. She also faces discrimination due to her caste. However, she remains a strong-headed cop.

Two parallel cases emerge, intertwined by fate. A brother from a scheduled caste reports his sister missing. In the other case, inter-caste love blossoms between a village figure's daughter and a Muslim boy. Anjali helps the boy escape and focuses on the other case.

She discovers a pattern among the missing girls from scheduled castes: aged above 25, unable to marry due to poverty and lack of dowry, emotionally vulnerable. Tracing the phones to a previous victim, she realizes that 27 girls were killed the day after they ran away with their partners, poisoned with cyanide.

While some believe it's a gang, Anjali suspects a lone psychopath. She argues that the killer has adhered to a meticulous plan without making a single mistake. She believes a gang would increase the chances of errors, unlike this case.

Anand Swarnakar, a college lecturer with a wife and son, teaches underprivileged children. His wife Vandana has an affair with a coworker named Jai.

Anand's son Kapish finds a phone in their father's van. The police trace it to Anand, leading to his interrogation. No evidence is found, but subsequent clues point to Shiv, who is arrested. Realizing it was Anand, Shiv aids the police. Anand flees Rajasthan and starts a new life in Goa with Mariam. Anjali arrests him before he can commit another murder.

In the end, Anjali questions Anand's motives for killing innocent girls. He justifies his actions, claiming the girls were not innocent and deserved punishment. He criticizes Anjali's caste background despite her police role and blames her relationship with her boss.

Anjali decides to change her surname back to Meghwal, symbolizing her defiance against societal expectations and prejudices.

== Cast ==
* [[Sonakshi Sinha]] as [[Sub-inspector|SI]] Anjali Bhaati/Anjali Meghwal
* [[Gulshan Devaiah]] as [[Station house officer|SHO]]/[[Inspector]] Devi Lal Singh
* [[Sohum Shah]] as [[Sub-inspector|SI]] Kailash Parghi
* [[Vijay Varma]] as Anand Swarnakar
* [[Zoa Morani]] as Vandana Swarnakar
* [[Mikhail Gandhi]] as Harry
* [[Jayati Bhatia]] as Devki Bhatti, Anjali's mother
* Kaviraj Laique as Javed Lohar
* Manyuu Doshi as Shiv Swarnakar
* Yogi Singha as Murli
* Sanghmitra Hitaishi as Miriam
* Rajiv Kumar as [[Superintendent of police (India)|SP]] Subhash Binjola
* Ratnabali Bhattacharjee as Renuka
* Nirmal Chiraniyan as Journalist
* Vijay Kumar Dogra as School principal
* Abhishek Bhalerao as Mhatre
* Waris Ahmed Zaidi as Altaf
* Rytasha Rathore as Lata
* Varad Bhatnagar as Kaasim
* Ankur Verma as Sunny

== Filming ==
The shooting of Dahaad was set in a small village of [[Rajasthan]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |title=India Debuts at Berlinale Series With Excel, Tiger Baby's 'Dahaad,' 'Brown' Lands at Series Market Selects |url=https://variety.com/2023/global/asia/berlinale-series-dahaad-india-1235490723/ |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=16 January 2023}}</ref>

== Release ==
The trailer of Dahaad was released on May 3, 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dahaad - Official Teaser {{!}} Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, Gulshan Devaiah, Sohum Shah - Bollywood Hungama |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/videos/ott/dahaad-official-teaser-sonakshi-sinha-vijay-varma-gulshan-devaiah-sohum-shah/ |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |access-date=29 April 2023 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Dahaad teaser out! Sonakshi Sinha plays tough cop in Reema Kagti's new web series |url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/dahaad-teaser-out-sonakshi-sinha-plays-tough-cop-in-reema-kagtis-new-web-series-586205 |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=[[WION]] |date=April 26, 2023 |language=en-us}}</ref>

The web series premiered at [[73rd Berlin International Film Festival]], [[Germany]] on February 22, 2023.<ref>{{cite news |title='Dahaad': Sonakshi Sinha's series to have world premiere at Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/dahaad-sonakshi-sinhas-series-to-have-world-premiere-at-berlin-international-film-festival/article66385918.ece |access-date=7 February 2023 |work=[[The Hindu]] |agency=[[Press Trust of India|PTI]] |date=17 January 2023 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |title=India’s Vijay Varma Talks Berlinale Series Show ‘Dahaad’: ‘There’s a Shroud of Mystery Around My Character’ (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/global/asia/vijay-varma-berlinale-series-dahaad-1235532327/ |access-date=18 March 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=22 February 2023}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite news |last=Gupta |first=Soumyabrata |title=Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma's Dahaad to be India's first web series to premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/sonakshi-sinha-vijay-varmas-dahaad-to-be-indias-first-web-series-to-premiere-at-the-berlin-international-film-festival-article-97043271 |access-date=2 February 2023 |work=[[Times Now]] |date=17 January 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Dahaad released on 12 May 2023 on [[Amazon Prime Video]] in 240 countries.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ramachandran |first=Naman |author-link=Naman Ramachandran |title=Sonakshi Sinha Talks Prime Video Thriller Series ‘Dahaad’: ‘It’s Really Like My Debut All Over Again’ (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2023/global/asia/sonakshi-sinha-dahaad-prime-video-1235609536/ |access-date=11 May 2023 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=11 May 2023}}</ref>

== Reception ==
''[[Bollywood Hungama]]'' rated 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "On the whole, DAHAAD is one of the finest shows to have come out in the Indian digital space. It boasts of powerful performances, a taut script and terrific direction, and most importantly, it also makes an important comment on caste and gender discrimination."<ref>{{cite news |title=Web Series Review: Dahaad : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/web-series-review-dahaad/ |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[Bollywood Hungama]] |date=12 May 2023 |language=en}}{{rating|4|5}}</ref>

[[Saibal Chatterjee]] of ''[[NDTV]]'' rated ''Dahaad'' 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "The eight-part show, created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti and produced by Excel Media and Tiger Baby, is devoid of the visceral and the explosive. It has no major action scenes, no chase sequences and no playing to the gallery by the law enforcers on the trail of a psychopath. What the series does have is the spark to make the most of a classic crime-and-punishment tale rendered as piercing, rooted social chronicle."<ref>{{cite news |last=Chatterjee |first=Saibal |author-link=Saibal Chatterjee |title=Dahaad Review: Sonakshi Sinha Shines In Thriller That Soars Without Having To Roar |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinha-shines-in-thriller-that-soars-without-having-to-roar-4027412 |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[NDTV]] |date=May 12, 2023}}{{rating|4|5}}</ref>

[[Shubhra Gupta]] of ''[[The Indian Express]]'' wrote "Net net, Dahaad starts off with a great deal of promise (the first two episodes are zingers), ensnaring us with its stunning locations, but finally it comes off only intermittently engaging."<ref>{{cite news |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |author-link=Shubhra Gupta |title=Dahaad review: Repetitive and bland, Sonakshi Sinha-Vijay Varma series is a stretch |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/dahaad-review-repetitive-and-bland-sonakshi-sinha-vijay-varma-series-is-a-stretch-8605135/ |url-access=limited |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |date=12 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

Shilajit Mitra of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote "I found the deliberate middle episodes of the series to be the most engaging. Varma, calm and methodical as he goes about his job, is an entertaining foil to Sinha. The series has fun with Anjali reining in her textbook feistiness and learning to work with evidence and clues. Gulshan Devaiah—cast against type as a reassuring voice of reason—and Sohum Shah as a slimy, repentant officer are excellent on the sides. It all goes to pot in the climax, which felt rushed and underwhelming for a series of this caliber. Did ideas suddenly dry up on the page? Were the makers going for a second season before budgets were pulled?"<ref>{{cite news |last=Mitra |first=Shilajit |title=‘Dahaad’ series review: Sonakshi Sinha leads a sensitive procedural |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/dahaad-series-review-sonakshi-sinha-leads-a-sensitive-procedural/article66841902.ece |url-access=subscription |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=[[The Hindu]] |date=12 May 2023 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

''[[The Times of India]]'' wrote "Dahaad brings up something we’ve seen in various Indian dramas like Raveena Tandon’s Aranyak and Dhrashti Dhami’s Duranga, among others. Like these shows, many characters are introduced and seen across the first few episodes, simmering in their own worlds until they are brought together."<ref>{{cite news |last=Khurana |first=Archika |title=Dahaad Season 1 Review : Sonakshi Sinha and Vijay Varma both roar in this cop drama |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/dahaad/season-1/seasonreview/100101778.cms |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=May 12, 2023}}{{rating|3.5|5}}</ref>

A critic from ''[[Hindustan Times]]'' praised Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar and wrote "Dahaad is controlled and superbly orchestrated, never giving way to the sensational tone of serial killer crusades and dramatic monologues with wide-eyed close-ups."<ref>{{cite news |last=Das |first=Santanu |title=Dahaad review: Sonakshi Sinha's engaging police procedural undone by an undercooked finale |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinhas-engaging-police-procedural-undone-by-an-undercooked-finale-101683835139306.html |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=12 May 2023 |language=en}}</ref>

[[Sukanya Verma]] for ''[[Rediff.com]]'' wrote "Predictable as these machinations may be, Dahaad soaks in the method to the madness. Ditching suspense for study, the offender's identity is never really a secret."<ref>{{cite news |last=Verma |first=Sukanya |author-link=Sukanya Verma |title=Dahaad Review: Sonakshi Packs A Punch |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/dahaad-review/20230512.htm |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[Rediff.com]] |date=May 12, 2023 |language=en}}{{rating|3.5|5}}</ref>

''[[India Today]]'' wrote "All in all, Dahaad is a treat to all those who are a fan of cop thrillers and have been complaining of not watching a good one of late."<ref>{{cite news |last=Mukherjee |first=Anindita |title=Dahaad Review: Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, Vijay Varma's thriller is hard-hitting reality coated into a story |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/binge-watch/reviews/story/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinha-gulshan-devaiah-vijay-varmas-thriller-is-hard-hitting-reality-coated-into-a-story-2377995-2023-05-12 |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[India Today]] |date=May 12, 2023 |language=en}}{{rating|3|5}}</ref>

Vijayalakshmi Narayanan for ''[[The Free Press Journal]]'' wrote "Created alongside her frequent collaborator Zoya Akhtar, 'Dahaad' borrows a leaf from Kagti's 'Talaash' and delves into the frailties of men and women in uniform, painting a refreshing cut-away from the 'Singhams' and 'Dabanggs', we have been largely accustomed to."<ref>{{cite news |last=Narayanan |first=Vijayalakshmi |title=Dahaad Web Review: Roaring performances by Sonakshi, Vijay, Gulshan and Sohum keep this web series engaging |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/dahaad-web-review-roaring-performances-by-sonakshi-vijay-gulshan-and-sohum-keep-this-web-series-engaging |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[The Free Press Journal]] |date=May 12, 2023 |language=en}}{{rating|3|5}}</ref>

''[[Scroll.in]]'' praised performance of Sonakshi Sinha and Gulshan Devaiah and wrote "Stripped of its virtue signalling-scaffolding, Dahaad works best as a dispassionate game about hunters and the hunted. The show is most alive in the moments when Anjali and her posse get closer to the actual killer, or when the murderer manages to scalp yet another victim."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ramnath |first=Nandini |title=‘Dahaad’ review: In crime thriller, the real hero is the murder suspect |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1048710/dahaad-review-in-crime-thriller-the-real-hero-is-the-murder-suspect |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[Scroll.in]] |date=12 May 2023}}</ref>

A critic from ''[[WION]]'' wrote "Dahaad wins not only for the way it deals with multiple societal issues but also because of its casting done brilliantly by casting agent Nandini Shrikent. Sonakshi Sinha, Gulshan Devaiah, and Sohum Shah are brilliant in their respective roles - never overstepping and keeping it restrained."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sen |first=Shomini |title=Dahaad review: Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Verma's show is effective and credible |url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinha-vijay-vermas-show-is-effective-and-credible-591565 |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=[[WION]] |date=May 12, 2023 |language=en-us}}</ref>

''[[Zoom (Indian TV channel)|Zoom TV]]'' rated the series 3.5 stars and wrote "If you are someone who enjoys watching crime dramas with added mystery, Dahaad is an ideal choice for you. But it is much more than a story that runs behind finding the psychotic killer. The beauty of this show is that it highlights the negative parts of society, which makes one think deeply as to where we are going wrong as humans."<ref>{{cite news |last=Tinkhede |first=Shreya |title=Dahaad Review: Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma Shine In Gripping Crime Drama Layered With Social Stigma |url=https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/reviews/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinha-vijay-varma-shine-in-gripping-crime-drama-layered-with-social-stigma-imdb-rating-twitter-review-public-review-review-100168743 |access-date=12 May 2023 |work=[[Zoom (Indian TV channel)|Zoom TV]] |date=May 11, 2023 |language=en}}{{rating|3.5|5}}</ref>

A critic from ''[[HT_Media|OTT Play]]'' wrote "Dahaad is better than what we have seen in recent times in terms of web series. It's the women's storytelling that makes the series usual yet unique given the backdrop it has been set in. Who doesn't enjoy crime thrillers? However, the writers' choice of a narrative focus is more on the "why" side of the crimes than who committed them. Well, that has worked well for me."<ref>{{cite news |last=Vasudevan |first=Aishwarya |title=Dahaad review: Sonakshi and Vijay are reasons enough to binge this series! |url=https://www.ottplay.com/review/dahaad-review-sonakshi-sinhas-tough-cop-play-and-vijay-varmas-spine-chilling-act-are-more-than-enough-reasons-to-binge-this-unnerving-series/354a7e58ab237 |access-date=13 May 2023 |work=[[HT_Media|OTT Play]] |date=May 12, 2023 |language=en}}((rating|3.5|5}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title}}
* [https://www.berlinale.de/en/2023/programme/202309785.html ''Dahaad''] at Berlinale
* [https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Dahaad/0KPV2GFQQ5XA8NCXXQ82XO3G1C ''Dahaad''] on [[Amazon Prime Video]]

{{Amazon Video original series}}

[[Category:2023 web series debuts]]
[[Category:Amazon Prime Video original programming]]
[[Category:Television series about serial killers]]
[[Category:Hindi-language web series]]
[[Category:Indian web series]]
[[Category:Indian crime television series]]
[[Category:Indian mystery television series]]
[[Category:Indian thriller television series]]
[[Category:True crime television series]]
[[Category:Television shows set in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:2020s police procedural television series]]
[[Category:Fictional portrayals of police departments in India]]

Dahaad - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 20:12, 21 July 2023