Directed by: Karan D. Kapadia and Heeraz Marfatia
Cast: Aneet Padda, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Arjun Mathur, Raghubir Yadav, Ram Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma, Zoya Hussain and Charu Shankar
Episodes: 6
Rating: 3/5
Hunkkaar: The Roar review: After Aneet Padda’s breakthrough in Saiyaara, audiences have been eagerly awaiting her upcoming projects. Her next release, it turns out, is Hunkkaar: The Roar. While the actress has confirmed that she filmed the crime-thriller series before her breakthrough film Saiyaara, anticipation surrounding the upcoming project is already high, largely due to the immense buzz around Aneet following the success of the film.
Hunkkaar: The Roar storyline
Set in the small town of Kharganj, Madhya Pradesh, Hunkkaar centres on Sunil “Baapji” Chakosi (Raghubir Yadav), an influential spiritual guru whose massive following makes him feel virtually untouchable. Everything changes when 17-year-old Meenu Rawat (Aneet Padda) walks into a police station and accuses him of sexual assault. What follows isn’t just a standard criminal investigation; it quickly turns into an all-out battle involving the cops, local politics, opportunistic media, high-profile lawyers, and thousands of followers fiercely defending Baapji.
From the start, the story focuses heavily on the harsh social reality facing Meenu. Instead of holding the accused accountable, the community immediately turns its lens on her; even a simple moment like her eating paani puri at a local market becomes gossip fuel for people questioning her character and motives.
Stiff dialogue and recycled storyline miss the mark
The dialogue feels consistently unnatural across the entire cast, making exchanges sound artificial rather than real conversations. Despite depicting realistic situations, the script stumbles heavily in its execution because the lines simply do not land naturally.
This results in the show failing to build any real emotional connection between the audience and its characters. Without believable dialogue to anchor the narrative, the characters’ struggles feel distant, causing the story’s emotional weight to miss the mark almost entirely.
Beyond the awkward dialogue, the core storyline itself fails to bring anything fresh to the table. A narrative about a powerful, untouchable godman exposed by a brave young survivor is a theme that has been done many times before, most notably in shows like Aashram starring Bobby Deol or real-life documentary-dramas like Bhakshak and Karma Calling.
Because the plot follows a predictable blueprint without offering a new angle, it feels familiar.
What is good about this series?
On the performance front, the cast delivers amazing work across the board. Every supporting actor brings genuine effort and skill to their roles, leaving practically no room to criticise their craft despite the clunky dialogue they are handed.
As for Aneet, while she turns in an okayish performance, it feels like a missed opportunity to see her step out of her comfort zone. Given her recent work, there was hope to see her tackle a noticeably different tone or dynamic here, but her portrayal stays largely within familiar territory rather than offering something surprisingly fresh.
Where the project truly succeeds, however, is in its realistic, grounded approach. The story sticks to a believable, step-by-step follow-through of how these cases unfold in real life, making the overall progression feel authentic and surprisingly compelling.
Final Verdict
While the overall narrative plays out quite predictably, a shocking twist or a sudden change of direction in the climax could have elevated the entire experience. Instead, the story follows a safe, expected route to the end. Nevertheless, thanks to the realistic depiction of events and dependable performances from the cast, Hunkkaar: The Roar remains a solid one-time watch.
Hunkkaar: The Roar is currently available to stream on JioHotstar.
