The Chargesheet: Innocent Or Guilty Review: A Gripping Story Backed By Solid Performances

‘The Chargesheet: Innocent Or Guilty?‘ is an engaging story about the complex human subjects of love, infidelity and jealousy set in the 80’s and relevant across generations. Arunoday Singh, Tridha Choudhury, and Shiv Pandit star in an insidious love triangle. Sikandar Kher showcases his acting talent in one of his most well-fleshed out characters. The show which was released on the 1st of January, was the ideal new year greeting filled with suspense, lies and seduction.

Watch a trailer for ‘The Chargesheet: Innocent Or Guilty’ here.

Shiraz Malik (Shiv Pandit) is a National Table Tennis Champion, who is now on a losing streak. He is madly in love with his wife Antara Malik (Tridha Choudhury) who is also a District level Table Tennis champion. They get married against the wishes of their respective families. Ranveer Pratap Singh (Arunoday Singh) is a powerful politician who falls in love with Antara, but also treats Shiraz as his own brother. When Shiraz is shot by 7 bullets and dies, CBI Inspector Vidhur Mehra (Sikandar Kher) steps in and opens a can of worms about their private lives.

The story focuses less on the sportsperson aspect and more of Shiraz Malik’s personal life with his wife, Antara. He constantly undermines his wife’s talent and she resents him for ending her career because of their marriage. Shiv Pandit and Tridha Choudhury share an easy chemistry where the emotions of love, resentment and jealousy look effortless. Shiraz dies in the first episode, but you keep getting little glimpses into his private life with people who are later suspected of killing him. This raises the intrigue on the show. The constant jumps between years and timelines can be distracting until you get used to it.

It starts off as a murder investigation and then turns into a gripping court drama. This show balances brutal death, lies, deceit and innocent humor without skipping a beat. A lot of the lighter moments come from the CBI team led by Sikandar Kher. He pulls off the role of an honest and blunt CBI officer with aplomb. His interrogation scenes with the politician (Arunoday Singh) are attention grabbing and applause worthy.

Watch the character promo for Aruonday Singh’s ‘Ranveer Pratap Singh’ here.

Arunoday Singh’s portrayal of the politician Ranveer Pratap Singh is worth a mention. The controlled anger that he brings to the character will leave you curious about what is going on beneath the surface. This ZEE5 Original, takes you back to Lucknow in the 80’s with the costumes and production design, although the table tennis court sets look underdeveloped.

The music production done by popular duo Salim Suleiman, takes you back to the late 80’s and early 90’s with the song choices. The music is not overpowering, but effective enough to keep the air of suspense going throughout the series. This series raises some pertinent questions about the manipulation of the judicial system to favour the powerful.

Watch the show for its brilliant performances and intriguing storyline that explore the dynamics of human relationships and emotions. If you find yourself enjoying this series, watch ‘The Verdict – State Vs Nanavati‘, also streaming on ZEE5.