Black Warrant Series Review

Every now and then, Netflix surprises everyone in the OTT landscape by adapting some outstanding books and infusing them with fictional elements. Following the success of “Sacred Games,” they have taken on another intriguing book titled “Black Warrant: The Confessions of a Tihar Jailer,” authored by Sunil Gupta, who also happens to be the central figure in this captivating story.

This 7-episode web series sticks nowhere to a larger-than-life arena but inclines to the realistic grounds. The series opens with the rookie jailer – Sunil Gupta (excellently performed by Zahan Kapoor), intervening with two gangs inside the prison over a ‘Snake’ hunt, eventually earning the hatred of his senior officer. Well, there’s so much beauty about the characterisation of senior officer DSP Rajesh Tomar (played by Rahul Bhat) who might keep you perplexed throughout the show. He is neither a brutal corrupt officer nor a good soul. He is practical and has succumbed to turbulent situations to handle his personal life. He doesn’t let the younger officer Sunil showcase his revolutionary ambitions, but at the same time, he doesn’t let him or his companions, the other two rookies – Vipin Dahiya (Anurag Thakur) or Shivraj Singh Mangal (Paramvir Singh Cheema) get into trouble at any cost. There’s a particular scene during the penultimate to final episode, where he warns the notorious gangster inside the prison not to harm them. 

The next one to steal the show is Sidhant Gupta as Charles Shobraj grabs your attention. He has portrayed the real-life serpent-bikini killer’s image without any obscurities. He might hold some awards though his appearance is minimal. This a perfect line to describe his role – ‘A Serpent who gave Ladoos to Adams’

The entire web series keeps you engrossed with shocking moments that include the brutal murder and rape of a small girl by ‘Billa’ and ‘Ranga’, who get hanged to death. This could be a spoiler, but still, the scene, where DSP Tomar asks his subordinate to pull the surviving criminal on a hanging rope to ensure that his pulse is completely dead, leaves us in dizziness. Just can’t imagine the emotional turbulence that Sunil Gupta would have undergone, witnessing those nightmarish bizarre. 

Well, some refreshing moments arrive in the name of friendship, betrayal, reconciliation and a pinch of romance without getting distracted by exaggerated adult elements just like other web series would indulge in. 

Overall, ‘Black Warrant’ is a series that deserves a binge-watch, and you won’t skip a second.