Introduction
Set against the real-life horror of the 1978 Ranga-Billa case, Raakh (Hindi for “ash”) is Amazon Prime Video’s gritty crime drama that trades glossy thrills for slow-burn dread. Anchored by a career-best performance from Ali Fazal, it’s less a whodunit and more a hard, unflinching look at the men behind a brutal crime — and the system racing to catch them.
Genre, Runtime, Platform
- Genre: Crime/Mystery Drama, Thriller
- Runtime: 1 Season, 8 Episodes
- Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Overview
Set in 1978 Delhi, Raakh follows the disappearance of two teenage siblings, Sahil and Suman, whose abduction shatters a close-knit family and puts the city on edge. Sub-Inspector Jayprakash Jatav (Ali Fazal), an ambitious but struggling officer following in his late constable father’s footsteps, throws himself into the manhunt. As the investigation deepens, it pulls him into the disturbing psychology of the killers and the darker corners of a city unprepared for this scale of violence.
Highlights
- Ali Fazal’s performance as Sub-Inspector Jayprakash Jatav has been called career-defining, moving away from his more commercial roles into raw, procedural intensity.
- Period detail — the show recreates late-1970s Delhi and Mumbai with a grounded, unglamorous realism rather than stylized nostalgia.
- Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir anchor the family drama as the grieving parents of the missing children, giving the series its emotional core.
- Multiple directors (Prosit Roy, Anusha Nandakumar, Sandeep Saket) bring a layered, procedural pacing across the 8-episode arc.
- Unflinching tone — reviewers note the series doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the real case it’s based on.
Plot (Spoiler-Light)
When siblings Sahil and Suman go missing in Delhi, their father Ashok Arora — a retired military man — and mother Mona are thrown into a nightmare no parent is prepared for. Sub-Inspector Jayprakash Jatav takes personal ownership of the case, determined to prove himself in a police force he’s long idolized. As leads dry up and pressure mounts, the investigation exposes a chilling criminal mind and forces Jatav to confront just how far human depravity can go. The series builds toward the eventual capture of the killers, following the manhunt that once gripped and horrified the entire city.
Why You Should Watch It
- It’s based on a real, notorious case, giving the tension a weight that fictional thrillers often can’t match.
- Ali Fazal fans get to see him in a completely different register — dramatic, restrained, procedural — rather than his usual charismatic roles.
- Strong ensemble support from Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bashir, and Rakesh Bedi rounds out the family and investigative sides of the story.
- If you’re into slow-burn crime dramas over flashy whodunits, this prioritizes atmosphere and psychological weight over twists.
- Its period setting (1978) offers a change of pace from the modern-day crime thrillers currently flooding streaming platforms.
Recommendations — If You Liked Raakh, Watch These Next
- Delhi Crime (Netflix) — a real-case-inspired police procedural set in the same city, with the same grounded, unglamorous tone.
- Paatal Lok (Prime Video) — a slow-burn investigative thriller that dives into the darker, systemic side of crime in India.
- Mirzapur (Prime Video) — for fans wanting to see Ali Fazal in a very different, more commercial crime setting.
- Scoop (Netflix) — another true-story-based Indian crime drama with strong procedural detail.
- Talvar (Netflix/Prime) — a film built around a real, notorious Indian criminal case, similar in tone and seriousness to Raakh.
- True Detective (Season 1, JioHotstar/international) — for the psychological depth and bleak atmosphere of a small-team manhunt.
- Mindhunter (Netflix) — if what you liked most about Raakh was getting inside the mind of the perpetrators.
Conclusion
Raakh isn’t an easy watch, and it isn’t trying to be. By grounding itself in a real and horrifying case, it earns its bleakness rather than manufacturing it for shock value. Anchored by a transformed Ali Fazal and a strong supporting cast, it’s a series that trades comfort for authenticity — and for fans of serious, slow-building crime drama, that trade pays off.