BOTTOM LINE
Part Pulpy, Part Clumsy Royal Saga
PLATFORM
Jio Hotstar
RUNTIME
4.5 hours (8 episodes)
What Is the Film About?
Following the murder of king Chandra Pratap, his children – Indrani, Kavya, and Abhimanyu – are caught in a ruthless tussle for the throne. Tension grips the palace as long-buried secrets are unearthed. The adopted son, Brij, too, vies for power, adding to the twisted web of rivalries and hidden agendas. As the family deals with the king’s death and their ambitions, a series of chilling events unfolds.
Performances
Kull comes alive predominantly due to a string of underrated performers who get much-deserved limelight through well-fleshed-out characters. Nimrat Kaur, of course, leads the party in the shoes of Indrani, the perennial ice-breaker between her troublesome siblings, who gradually succumbs to her royal and political privileges. Ridhi Dogra delivers a fine performance as the rebellious Kavya.
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Analysis
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Sahir Raza-directed Kull: The Legacy of Raisinghs, a royal drama, plays around with a genre that’s as gossipy as it gets. The Raisingh palace houses a plethora of secrets, with a schizophrenic king at the helm, a spoilt son waiting to take over, an elder daughter trapped in a loveless marriage and a younger sister who doesn’t get her due. All hell breaks loose with the mysterious murder of the king.
As it is with most royal families, patriarchy is worshipped among the Raisinghs. One of king Chandra Pratap’s primary concerns is not producing an heir who could sustain his tainted legacy. He deems his only son, Abhimanyu, unfit for the throne, considers his younger daughter Kavya’s Oxford qualification a waste of resources, and blames another daughter, Indrani, for her inability to conceive. His outdated, biased worldview becomes the root of many of the conflicts in the series and is one of the main lenses through which the show examines the disintegration of legacy and family.
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Adding juice to the drama is Brij, an adopted son whom Chandra Pratap wished he had. When the investigation around the king’s murder takes off, there are many potential suspects with reasonably strong motives. Though it starts as a regular murder mystery, it isn’t merely concerned about the culprit but is invested in exploring the complexities within the dysfunctional family. That becomes its strength and, at times, its weakness.
While there are a handful of messy characters, the show is distinctive for its aim to subvert the norms of regular royal dramas, reflecting on the repercussions of patriarchy and misogyny and how women, too, can advance it. If Indrani is the sister who fills the void of a mother in Abhimanyu’s life, Kavya is the rebellious sibling who holds a mirror to her brother, only to be silenced time and again. The sibling equations are volatile, the power dynamics constantly shifting, and no character is allowed to stay static for too long.
Although the show has a strong start uncovering the drama around the death, it becomes desperate to hold a viewer’s attention with the later developments. Indrani’s rise as a politician, the injustice meted out to Brij (who’s jailed), the troubles in Abhimanyu’s wedding, and the cracks in Kavya’s marriage all make for compelling arcs, but they come one after another with little room for breath. It packs in too many subplots without giving time for each to grow.
Even when the show isn’t at its best, it isn’t lazy. Its debate on the male order isn’t simplistic. Indrani, who would go to any length to protect her brother at the cost of her sister, shows men in a political party their place when they try to use a dicey situation to bring her down. Despite living with a green-flag husband, Kavya realises the real struggle is in breaking free from a life shaped by inherited royal privilege. The show takes time to explore how women both suffer under and uphold the systems they claim to resist.
In the final set of episodes, Kull is back in form while changing gears as a revenge saga. The drama comes full circle, and the time finally arrives to address the elephant in the room, even if it’s a bit late. Indrani’s political career is in jeopardy, as much as her personal life; Kavya struggles with her son’s custody, and Abhimanyu makes costly mistakes without paying a price for them. His entitlement, shaped by both indulgence and neglect, begins to spiral out of control.
Amidst the sibling drama, the show proves its inclusivity by charting the journey of a gay man trapped in a heterosexual marriage. He seeks political power but doesn’t have the confidence or support to fully establish his presence. His arc is subtle yet quietly effective. In another standout moment, a flashback sequence offers a glimpse into the king’s notorious past. This bit of storytelling provides solid context for the twisted emotional makeup of his children, making their flaws feel more tragic than exaggerated.
By the end, the women win some battles and lose others, but most importantly, they lead a rebellion. There is a clear quest for change in the existing order. Using familiar storytelling tropes and characters with relatable conflicts, Kull remains a pulpy family drama that doesn’t shy away from the messiness of its characters. Though it’s overcooked at times, the twists are engaging and the character evolution is impressive. It knows its genre, audience and plays to both effectively.
Performances by Others Actors
Amol Parashar, while exaggerating his character just where it’s necessary without overdoing his histrionics, helps one understand what it means to be an unloved yet spoilt son in a royal household. Gaurav Arora’s Brij is one of the rare underdeveloped characters in the show. Suhas Ahuja makes his presence felt with a neat portrayal of Vikram. Rohit Tiwari and Arslan Goni get adequate scope to shine too.
Music and Other Departments?
Sanchit Choudhary’s score has an invisible presence that drives the show forward organically, staying true to the backdrop and the events in the story. The story around a royal household is brought alive with the delectable cinematography by Vivian Singh Sahi and stunning production design by Martand Mishra and N Madhusudan. The vibrant costumes add further authenticity. The editing, while slightly gimmicky at places and sometimes screaming for attention, generally does justice to the material.
Highlights?
Good premise, engaging screenplay
Apt casting, effective performances
Technically brilliant
Drawbacks?
Overcooked with subplots
Goes slightly far in establishing the toxicity in the palace
Loses its momentum briefly after a good start
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
If you have a taste for royal dramas and mysteries
Kull: The Legacy of Raisinghs Review by M9
