On a recent podcast, Sudip Sharma, the creator and screenwriter of acclaimed shows like Kohraa and Paatal Lok, voiced his concerns about the current state of Indian streaming platforms. He particularly noted how many platforms are shifting towards what he metaphorically termed the ‘BPO model’ of storytelling in an effort to churn out shows faster and cheaper. “It’s the lack of ambition which is the most disheartening part of it all,” Sharma lamented.
One need only watch a modest portion of Bad Cop—an ongoing series on Disney+ Hotstar, with seven episodes available for review—to grasp what Sharma is getting at. While the show isn’t terribly executed, boasting bursts of frantic action and a pulp-driven premise, it ultimately feels like a dispirited portrayal true to the ethos of a BPO call center. Simply put, the ambition is conspicuously absent.
Bad Cop embarks on its narrative with Mumbai cop Karan, who finds himself fatally injured in a hit job orchestrated by sinister forces. Enter Arjun, Karan’s estranged twin—yes, an often-used twist—who is portrayed as a lowlife conman running minor schemes alongside his girlfriend (Aishwarya Sushmita) and inadvertently becomes a suspect in a murder case. The task falls upon Arjun to impersonate Karan, and he accomplishes this feat with almost suspicious ease, showcasing a transformation quicker than Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic switch in the 1978 film, Don.
Gulshan Devaiah plays both Karan and Arjun, continuing to demonstrate his knack for dual roles, a talent he employed previously in the 2022 series Duranga. Although Devaiah’s performance is fervent and engaging, it can’t fully compensate for the show’s overarching conventionality. Initially depicted as a minor criminal, Arjun soon metamorphoses into a spitting image of his cop-brother, a transition that stretches believability.
The eclectic narrative threads of Bad Cop span a wide array of topics, including slain journalists, a nefarious poaching racket, betting scams, and corruption within the Mumbai police force. The script, penned by Rensil D’Silva, draws its inspiration from a German television series of a similar name.
. However, this Indian adaptation introduces elements likely to be foreign to the original, such as a pugnacious crime lord string-pulling from jail. This character is played with much flair by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who inhabits the role of a rotund, rowdy Kazbe, chewing scenery in various outlandish scenarios, including one where—sitting on a toilet—he maniacally yells at his underlings. This role seems to pivot from his portrayal of Bunty Bhaiyaa in Shagird (2011), in a similarly indisposed fashion.
One of the glaring issues in Bad Cop extends to its use of second-hand songs and performances that feel second-guessed. Devaiah, who showcased his agility in high-paced action sequences in his prior collaboration with director Aditya Datt in Commando 3 (2019), holds his own in the chases and firefights peppered throughout Bad Cop. However, his domestic scenes with Devika (Harleen Sethi), who is Karan’s wife and superior, are less compelling and often lack plausibility, especially after the twin switch occurs.
It stretches the imagination to believe that someone as astute as Devika wouldn’t detect the significant changes in her husband’s demeanor, even after it’s revealed that Karan had been in contact with his fugitive twin. Saurabh Sachdeva plays ‘CIB’ officer Arif, a character constantly on Arjun’s trail, and while his role adds a layer of tension, it too succumbs to the overarching narrative conveniences that plague the show. Logical inconsistencies abound, pushing viewers to suspend disbelief beyond reasonable limits.
As Sharma pointed out, the lack of ambition is a damning indictment of the broader landscape of Indian streaming content. Bad Cop, with its derivative plotlines and predictably convenient resolutions, epitomizes this unfortunate trend. Although serviceable as a generic thriller, the series fails to rise above mediocrity, leaving viewers yearning for the creativity and daring storytelling that Sharma believes is so sorely missing from today’s streaming offerings.
Two episodes of Bad Cop are currently available for streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, with more episodes set for periodic release.
