Blood Soaked But Lacking Vitality – Only 1.5 Stars

Sultan of Delhi is a period crime drama set in the aftermath of the Partition riots. Directed by Milan Luthria and co-directed by Suparn S. Varma, the series fails to deliver substance despite its ambitious scale. The show lacks energy and fails to create moments that resonate with the audience.

The story revolves around Arjun Bhatia (Tahir Raj Bhasin), a mechanic who is determined to rise above the horrors of history and make a name for himself in a ruthless world. Along with his loyal friend Nilendu alias Bangali (Anjum Sharma), Arjun works for Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak), a businessman with political ambitions. Arjun’s path takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with Sanjana (Mehreen Pirzada), a wealthy man’s daughter.

The series follows Arjun as he navigates through a web of gunfights, bromance, toxic masculinity, and riddles set by a robber-baron. His main rival is Rajinder Pratap Singh (Nishant Dahiya), who conspires to bring Arjun down with the help of Shankari (Anupriya Goenka), his manipulative mistress.

Unfortunately, the show fails to capture the essence of the book it is adapted from, “Sultan of Delhi: Ascension” by Arnab Ray. The depiction of the city, the 1960s era, and the characters lacks authenticity. The settings feel generic and do not resemble the real Delhi or Calcutta of that time.

The series falls short in its portrayal of female characters, limiting their roles and not giving them room to shine. Despite the efforts of the talented cast, including Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anjum Sharma, Vinay Pathak, Mouni Roy, Harleen Sethi, Anupriya Goenka, Mehreen Pirzada, and Nishant Dahiya, the show fails to deliver a compelling narrative.

In conclusion, “Sultan of Delhi” is a lackluster adaptation that does not live up to its potential. It lacks substance, authenticity, and fails to create a meaningful impact on the audience.