Back-to-back OTT entertainment featuring shows in every genre imaginable is flourishing in India. With the exception of one or two miniseries, the creators have resisted exploring the horror genre. This is where Vikranth Pawar’s Dahan steps in as the proverbial knight in shining armour, offering a wide range of unique themes, compelling characters, and an esoteric canvas brimming with fantastical aspects. It is not your typical tale of monsters and ghouls inflicting devastation. The plot is more complex than you anticipated.
Avni Raut (Tisca Chopra), a disgraced IAS officer, seeks to redeem herself by accepting the task of mediating a settlement between the Mangon Mining Corporation and the reluctance of the Shilashpura residents. Dahan is set in the charming and rough-hewn fictional town of Shilashpura in Rajasthan. The contested mining project location continues to be the source of conflict between the two opposing parties. The site itself is said to be the legacy left behind by the monster of Shilashpura, although Mangon Corporation is eager to begin its operation in order to obtain a rare natural mineral. Upon their arrival in Shilashpura, Avni and her son Amey learn about the legends of Raakan, Haadika, and Mayaavi as well as the two mysterious factions Kaaraapalli and Nikaasiya and their bloody past.
Avni opens a Pandora’s Box, and all hell breaks loose in this village that appears to have a strong superstitious culture. Dahan does not immediately plunge you into the action like other horror programs. In the first five or six episodes of their nine-episode run, the creators attempt to establish the various plot elements and develop the characters.
Dahan meanders through the tangle of delicate mother and son relationships with Avni and Amey because of its slow but deliberate storyline. Avni, meanwhile, is on an entirely different trip as the ghosts of her past begin to follow her (not literally). Amey, a young, disobedient teen, is agitated because he believes her mother is hiding information about his deceased father. His personal journey is supported by engaging supporting characters who give the story depth. The plot also skillfully depicts the political rivalries, power struggles, underlying corruption, and widespread orthodox customs of the doomed town.