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Tantra (2017)

'Tantra' dives headlong into the murky world of evil tantriks, black magic, devil worship and the like, pulling, us, the audience, along, into the fantastic realm of the mystical. The show boasts an ensemble cast of small screen veterans and newbies alike. Miss India 2015, Aditi Arya plays the protagonist Sunaina Sikand, while Sandeep Bhardwaj, the actor who cut his teeth on the meaty role of Veerappan in RGV’s eponymous film, plays the evil tantrik, Kukarmi.
Black magic is the dominant theme of the show. Human bones, the human skull (sigh, obviously!), blood, gore, all play a part in the proceedings. Who better than Bhatt to know the fascination viewers hold for occult practices, and he proceeds to milk it to the core. At the heart of the show is the tried and tested formula of family feuds, spearheaded by Rekha Sikand, the elder daughter-in-law of the Sikand family, who is tormented by the fact that her rich father-in-law has bequeathed the reins of the million-dollar family company to his younger son, i.e. her devar.
Out to extract her pound of flesh, and the family riches too, the lady vows to destroy the offending brother-in-law and his family. To achieve her ambition, she ropes in the maniacal Kukarmi, a devilish tantrik, with a penchant for materialising out of thin air at the oddest of times.
There’s also a good baba, Trilok Sharma, played by a benign-looking Dinesh Kaushik, thrown in to balance the equation between good and evil.
What works in the show’s favour is the tight editing, fast pace and good production quality. The acting in the show leaves a lot to be desired. It is unconvincing, wooden and eminently uninspired. The actors look like they have sleep-walked through their roles. story, written by Vikram Bhatt, is highly absorbing. The direction, by Bhatt’s protege, Sidhant Sachdev, is laudable. The storyline is edgy, dark and different. The creepiness of Kukarmi gets your heart racing and your hair standing on end. The title track is outstanding, hitting the right notes between haunting and melancholy.
The show manages to grab and hold eyeballs, with each episode having a running time between 15 to 20 minutes. Viewers are lapping up the offering, many even complaining that the episodes get over way too soon.