Zee5’s newest show, ‘Crime Beat’, is not just another crime drama. It is a shallow dive in the blurred lines between the dark underbeli of investigative journalism and the power and truth. Under the leadership of the eight-episode series directed by Sudhir Mishra and Sanjeev Kaul, under the leadership of Saqib Salim and Rahul Bhat, you manage to keep your intense script and tilting with a contingent of artists. However, you can also find it a little less due to the sub-disciplination of a world, where justice is not always black and white.

The series follows Abhishek Sinha (Saqib Salim), an ambitious crook journalist from Varanasi to make a name for himself in the biggest media scenario of Delhi. A major publication crime was defeated, Sinha stumbled in Binny Chaudhary’s case – a frightened kidnapper and forcibly recovering. Given a potential career-defined scoop, he recovers on the story, expecting a prestigious front-page buyline to be secured.

In a parallel story, Chaudhary navigates through the complications of his life. Once hidden in Afghanistan, he returns to Delhi to fulfill his political ambitions. Binny is firm to surrender and start afresh. He decides to attack a plan with politicians to highlight the 2010 Commonwealth Games scam. However, his enmity with DCP Udaya (Rajesh Telong) reveals a unique plot turn, making a slow -burn drama look somewhat complicated.

‘Crime Beat’ There is a fast-paced story, but it also seems dead in parts. Mainly due to its unrealistic truth and exaggerated realities. The show focuses on sensation rather than deep digging to extract authenticity. Abhishek Sinha’s relationship with his guru Amir Akhtar (Danish Hussain) is forced, making it part of an incredible conspiracy.

Saqib Salim tries to give a personal performance, which turns his understanding of Delhi’s underbeli into character. The fact is that being a journalist is more fine than being a Delhi boy, slightly reduces his illustration. Unlike most real -life journalists, Salim’s Sinha is ready to trade everything and to get Page -1 byline to all. Lies, conspiracy, right and a situation wrong does not matter to him. Their disgusting nature fails to establish the credibility of their small city and push them from the edge.

Another forgetful character, Maya Mathur, played by Saba Azad, is Sinha’s immediate competition. His sharp tendency and ambition is an opposite with Sinha’s small town honesty. Like the story, Mathur also lacks depth, which makes it all look like a ruined opportunity. Keeping in mind the previous performances of Azad, Mathur comes as a poor-written character, married by an uptown girl’s clich, devoid of both emotional depth and a strong character.

‘Crime Beat’, with all its dull scripts and average performance, is also Rahul Bhat, which highlights his performance like bold, embossed front-position headline. He certainly brings maximum nuances to the show with his depiction by Binny Chaudhary. While living in ‘Black Warrant’, he played an intense and morally vague policeman, built his performance on the Budding Authority and Steel Control, he also shows the scene in ‘Crime Beat’ with a low-level character Is. With Sai Tamhkar, who plays the role of his close aide Archana Pandey, brings a calm storm in a furnace role. There is a certain amount of stress that he successfully brings his most understood moments to the show.

It is not difficult to create a series that looks more reliable and real when Indian OTT has that kind of access and permission … so far. Journalism or the way of working of reporters in India is not rocket science. ‘Crime Beat’ works on it.

Anarchy and contradictions in the show are reflected in its characters, which already complicate the incredible story. The show lacks Sudhir Mishra’s signature story: tireless and fearless. The problem is not exaggerated, but to know where there is exaggeration for the play.

‘Crime Beat’ is co-directed by Sanjeev Kaul and is currently streaming on ZEE5.