Asur Season 2: The Indian mythological thriller is contradictory, full of plot-holes but binge-worthy
Asur is an Indian mythological fantasy thriller series. Season 2 was released on 1st June, 2023.
Plot: Asur revolves around a child prodigy – genius – who considers himself an Asur (Demon), an incarnation of Kali (the demon in Kali Yuga (Modern times). His aim is to show society how failed are it’s morals and principles. He uses people’s love for their families and kin to ask them to make difficult choices about other people’s life and death. CBI is tasked with catching this psychopath killer / mythological terrorist.
Review: Overall, the show manages to create a very intriguing and tense thriller using mythological inferences. The story is unique, fresh and continuously asks questions about morality and justice. The acting is also good, for the most part. The dialogues are a hit and miss. Sometimes, they tell a very good story – blending stories of gods and demons with present day events. But, other times, they are clunky and very generic. A lot of exposition needs to be done which renders the dialogues banal and dry at many instances.
The biggest problem with Asur is it’s inherent contradictory nature. In order to make us believe the god-level antagonist, show goes to all lengths to create a mythology but then because it is a police procedural, it has to bring all of these events at earth level – where they die an instant death. The show also has no fully moral character – All characters at some point, break the law, even kill without remorse – lending the ultimate philosophical victory to the antagonist anyway.
Not to take other things away, Asur is a commendable effort in storytelling – straying here and there but still being binge-worthy.
Overall Rating: *** (3 stars out of 5)