Paashbalish (2024) Web Series Review: Suhotra Mukhopadhyay delivers a stunning performance

Korok Murmu's directorial mystery thriller web series "Paashbalish," starring Ishaa Saha, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Saurav Das, Rishi Kaushik, & Sankar Debnath, premiered on ZEE5 on May 10th, 2024.

The story revolves around Chandu (Suhotra Mukhopadhyay), who works as a cook at Pathorkuchi Police Station near the Bengal-Bangladesh border. Being an unsophisticated guy, he is often mocked by those around him, earning him the nickname "Arijit Singh of Pathorkuchi."

Anchal Mallick (Ishaa Saha), the top journalism graduate from Calcutta University and an independent journalist, assists the police team led by the new SDPO Adhiraj Sen (Rishi Kaushik) in successfully completing a narcotics operation.

The Naxalite leader Swadesh (Saurav Das) runs the narcotics gang in the local area and is in a relationship with Anchal Mallick, who is the daughter of tea garden owner Mahadeb Mallick (Sankar Debnath). Chandu saves Anchal twice from near-death situations, always coming to her aid when she's in trouble.

Anchal’s brother, a police officer, and a member of Swadesh’s gang were murdered, prompting the police to investigate. Who killed these three people, and why?

Paashbalish on ZEE5 is engaging primarily due to Korok Murmu's brilliant storytelling. The story is fresh, and the dialogues by Arkadeep Mallika Nath are mostly effective, with a few exceptions. The back-and-forth presentation of events enhances the narrative's engagement.

Suhotra Mukhopadhyay steals the show with a stunning performance as Chandu aka Babla. The actor has recently tackled many challenging characters in his career, including Nandini and Dakghor, and this one is even more demanding.

The on-screen chemistry between Suhotra Mukhopadhyay and Ishaa Saha is praiseworthy, as seen and enjoyed in "Indu" and Indu 2. However, the chemistry between Ishaa Saha and Saurav Das lacks charm and doesn't feel organic. Saurav Das as Swadesh delivers a convincing performance, particularly shining in the climax.

Rishi Kaushik as Adhiraj Sen is a welcome addition to the cast, justifying his character with a convincing performance. It’s good to see him gaining more exposure after earning praise for his role in Ankush Hazra’s Mirza.

Ishaa Saha as Anchal Mallick delivers a good performance, although her character could have been better utilized. Those familiar with her work in web series like Indu and Antormahal know she can deliver outstanding performances if given the right material. Sankar Debnath in the negative role makes a decent contribution, and the twist at the end is surprisingly good.

Mrinmoy Sanyal’s music composition and background score add another positive dimension to the series. Korok Murmu's direction and overall execution are commendable. The screenplay writing by Arkadeep Mallika Nath & Abhijit Mallick could have been improved upon. Ramyadip Saha’s cinematography and Pronoy Dasgupta’s editing are decent.