Reviews & Ratings for
Rangbaaz (2018)

Rangbaaz by Zee5 is a marvelous show as a whole. For starters, the show is based on an actual gangster, whose name has been slightly modified in the show along with other few well known characters for the sake of privacy. Some of the characters justified their roles to the fullest whereas some were not that well thought about. The most admirable thing about this show is how the makers stuck well to the storyline and did not get involved in unnecessary amounts of erotica or abusive language. The screenplay is very well written and the cast puts on a powerful performance.

'Rangbaaz' showcases in vivid detail, the life and times of UP criminal, Shree Prakash Shukla (changed to Shiv Prakash Shukla in the series), laying bare the grisly specifics of his short life, in nine, finely-nuanced episodes.
As the facts of Shukla’s life of crime and murder tumble out into the public domain, web audiences watch in horror and fascination, absorbing the shocking true story of his meteoric rise in the world of crime, his stunning count of twenty cold-blooded murders in the span of a few years and his close association with top politicians of the country. It is undoubtedly a fascinating tale.
'Rangbaaz' chronicles the transformation in minute detail, taking us along in the journey of the makeover of a gauche young Shiv Prakash into the criminal Shukla, the most wanted man in India. His metamorphosis is at once stark and spectacular. We watch in mesmeric enthrallment, as the shy and wary young student becomes the feared criminal who lives life to the beats of his self-composed gangsta rap. Once initiated into the world of crime, Shukla is unstoppable. He dodges the clueless UP police with calm disdain, plans murders with cold-blooded nonchalance and shoots his victims dead with practiced ease. As the heady power of the crime world and the unrelenting clout of the gun goes to his head, he takes an almost gleeful delight in pumping bullets into his victims. One or two shots are never enough for our trigger-happy protagonist – it has to be a full round, pumped into the almost lifeless body of his target.
Rangbaaz is a masterfully made crime drama, the after-effects of which will stay with you, long after you’ve finished watching the show. The unnerving story of a good guy gone bad will wrench your heart and twist it with its pathos-laden undertones, until you feel a numbing pain in your chest for the promising life lost to a disturbingly sinister criminal system. On the surface, Rangbaaz is simply a tale of the rise and fall of a dreaded UP criminal. But underneath its seeming simplicity lie manifold layers of harsh reality – the evil absolutes of the ominous politician-police-criminal nexus that is widespread in the country. It is prevalent as much in 2018 as it was in 1998, the year Shiv Prakash Shukla met his maker.
And now, it’s time to write an ode to Saqib Saleem’s outstanding performance. To say that this is the actor’s best performance till date would be disgustingly underwhelming. He is terrific as Shiv Prakash, getting under the skin of the dead gangster’s character with flawless perfection. He lends credence to his portrayal of Shukla, getting right each nuance, as also the dialect and mannerisms, with consummate precision. His is a crisp, bracing performance, and the glittering crest of the show.
Ranvir Shorey and Ravi Kishan give evidence of the vast reserves of talent that reside within them. Both have given measured performances, without a hint of unnecessary histrionics sullying the gravity of their roles. It is Tigmanshu Dhulia, however, who has caught our fancy with his brilliant portrayal of the cunning Ram Shankar Tiwari. The man is a marvel really.
Watch 'Rangbaaz' for Saleem’s spectacular acting, for its superb narration and for the gutsy gangster who is no more, but who’s left behind a tale that is the stuff of legends. Watch Rangbaaz, period.

A series that revolves around the true story of an erstwhile popular gangster from the badlands of Uttar Pradesh, it manages to give you a striking and watch worthy entertainment. It centres itself around the actual life of 'Shri Prakash Shukla', an actual criminal biggie from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Some names have changed, of course, for the names of some political heavyweights of UP were involved. However, the show is good and sticks to the old world charm of the crime genre. Comparing this to either Sacred Games or Mirzapur would be fair to your critical mind and as a matter of fact, this isn't as good as those two, however, to say it isn't nice at all would be fairly wrong. It has a story of its own and its own characters that do justice to the script. It stars Ranveer Shorey, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Ahana Kumra and Saqib Salim.

Want some adrenaline RUSH?
Rangbaaz begins in 1992, with a naïve twenty-year-old Shiv Prakash (Saqib Saleem) living a happy life in Gorakhpur. His days are spent studying in Gorakhpur University; watching out for his sister, Shweta; and flirting with Shweta’s friend. But one fine day, destiny plays its hand and an eve-teaser, who had dared to tease his sister, dies at his hands. While it is an accidental death, wily politico, Ram Shankar Tiwari (Tigmanshu Dhulia), wastes no time in harvesting the opportunity fate presents to him. He sends Shiv Prakash away to Thailand under guise of protecting him from imminent arrest. A thoroughly petrified Shiv Prakash agrees to the plan in mute resignation. Once in Thailand, the innocent young lad is convinced to repay Tiwari’s benevolence by working as his henchman.

Now who would have ever thought of seeing Saqib Saleem , Mere Dad Ki Maruti boy in this #actionPacked and #political drama? With his #intense looks Saqib surely has made an impressive performance. The story is based on true events which revolves around a #gangster Shiv Prakash Shukla and his journey from an ordinary college student in Gorakhpur to the most wanted criminal in North India. We also get to see various commendable performances by Tigmanshu Dhulia who played the role of a corrupt politician , Ravi Kishan played a Bihari Bahubali and Aahna Kumra portrayed the love interest of Shukla.

Rangbaaz is an Indian crime thriller web series by ZEE5. It based on a true story of Shri Prakash Shukla who was a notorious gangster in UP in the 90s. The show follows the journey of his character from being a college student to becoming one of India's most wanted criminals. The direction is cinematography is raw and rustic, which makes the Uttar Pradesh setting authentic. Much like Mirzapur, Rangbaaz manages to capture rural part of UP well. The performances by the cast are top notch take the make the show more worthy of your time. The only demerit is it's inconsistency and this where it loses out to Sacred Games and Mirzapur. Certain sequences seem botched up but as a whole, the show is enjoyable.