Each episode of the show starts off with compelling flashbacks of an autistic child’s backstory (impeccably played by child actor Vishesh Bansal) and delves into how his misplaced ideology transforms him into the present-day Asur, responsible for brutal killings of innocent, righteous people. While the present-day story unfolds as an inventive cat-and-mouse whodunnit contest between the serial killer and CBI investigators.
Although the show’s writers have incorporated admirable and authentic attention to detail on the forensic investigation front (not Dexter level detailing), which is never seen before in Indian television, however, inconsistent writing is also perhaps its biggest weakness. Some glaring plotholes like: non-analysis of finger cutting of victims, the vague explanation for the Barun Sobti’s character receiving dead bodies’ coordinates are results of hurried writing in that context. Besides, unwanted tampering with the story’s timeline in the initial episodes (last-minute editing I suppose) did not impress this reviewer as it acted as a deterrent to an otherwise seamless narrative.
But thankfully the positives outweigh the negatives. Most of the writing is first-rate barring a few shortcomings. The lead performances of CBI officers Arshad Warsi and Barun Sobti were almost flawlessly delivered by these underrated actors. Arshad Warsi has proven his mettle time and again with critically acclaimed performances in the Munnabhai Series, Sehar, Ishqiya and Jolly LLB. Bollywood has nevertheless grossly underutilized his acting chops. The child actor Vishesh Bansal gives a spine-chilling performance as a cold-blooded psychopath. But the performance which warrants special mention was that of Sharib Hashmi (of Filmistan and The Family Man fame), who plays the onscreen junior of Arshad Warsi. He is a terrific actor who deserves meatier roles. But the unusual choice for Asur’s (adult) role is debatable. Perhaps it was a conscious casting decision and the role was intentionally underplayed to protect the mystery. Or maybe they learned from the silly casting blunder (Kareena Kapoor) in Aamir Khan’s supernatural mystery thriller: Talaash.
Cinematography is another filmmaking aspect in this show that is commendable, especially the portions shot in Varanasi. The background score beautifully complements the dark script and the brutally shot murders.
Asur’s biggest letdown for many viewers would probably be its climax. Although I really loved the way the writers have smartly teased the viewers with subtle hints about the killer’s identity, the final mystery revelation after an intriguing build-up may be mildly disappointing for most viewers. The unimaginable sacrifice made by one of the lead actors did not seem as convincing as the way it was executed in David Fincher’s SEVEN (starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman). But David Fincher is David Fincher.
What I did not like was that it ended in a cliffhanger, paving way for an inevitable season 2, which I would be eagerly looking forward to. Because finally the Indian viewers have been gifted with an audacious content (after the fantastic Andhadhun) that does not underestimate its intellect and does not present the suspense in a platter. Do watch it as another game-changer in Indian Television despite just falling short to match the brilliance of the likes of Mirzapur, Delhi Crime, Criminal Justice, Sacred Games (Season 1), The Family Man and the more recent Special Ops.
Recommended.
My Verdict: 7/10
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