‘Bad Cop’ starring Gulshan Devaiah and Anurag Kashyap is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. With two episodes already streamed on the platform and six available for review, the series is another filmy thriller with some great action sequences and sadly lacks soul!

The series begins with Gulshan Devaiah’s Arjun and his partner Kiki (Aishwarya Sushmita) witnessing a brutal murder while trying to escape from a hotel. The victim was a journalist, and sadly for Arjun, he is best friends with CIB (or CBI, the makers haven’t really taken care to maintain continuity as they keep changing names) officer Arif Khan (Saurabh Sachdeva).

Now, Arjun tries to seek help from his twin brother Karan (we said it was filmy, right?) but gets caught in a crossfire with Kazbe’s (Anurag Kashyap) gang men. The twists keep coming in the first episode, and without giving away any spoilers, Arjun gets caught in a web of lies and deceit where he needs to prove his innocence in the murder case as well as find out the real culprits and the people behind the cross-firing on that fateful night.

Director Aditya Dutt, who has previously directed films like ‘Commando 3’ and ‘Krack’, does a good job with all the action sequences. However, what is missing is the soul in the series, and you never really connect with the characters in ‘Bad Cop’. The chase scenes are really good, but apart from a few twists here and there and some cat-and-mouse chases in the initial episodes, things don’t really stand out.

Watch the trailer for ‘Bad Cop’

The series ends up being a masala potboiler that doesn’t grab you. The screenplay is weak, and the sequences are too formulaic to make it a good thriller. The plot is as messy as one would guess, and this prevents the audience from connecting with the series.

Now coming to the good part- the acting. Gulshan Devaiah is brilliant as Karan Arjun. He has the talent and he is bringing it out in the series. He is effortless in his acting and his training for ‘mard ko dard nahi hota’ comes in handy for all the action sequences. In fact, he is a naturally cunning police officer full of secrets, who wants to get his job done without interference from Devika (Harleen Sethi).

Harleen Sethi is fun to watch and has portrayed Devika with ease. It is not an easy character to play – a role that requires her to transform into a broken wife who has to ensure that her daughter sees the family in the right light, and a role that requires her to act as her husband’s boss, where she sees his flaws and incompetencies.

Then, there is Saurabh Sachdeva, who is an officer and a grieving friend who can go to any extent to uncover the truth. He brings a certain charm to the character he plays. And then, there is Anurag Kashyap as the formidable Kazbe, a man in his own right. He has the presence and personality that is required to carry the character. It is indeed a delight to watch him in action in the series.

Overall, if you are looking for a time-pass series to watch during lunch/dinner, this could be a good option. If you are looking for something else that will keep you hooked and glued to your seat, then this could be a disappointment.