London Files
Director: Sachin Pathak
Cast: Arjun Rampal, Purab Kohli, Sapna Pabbi, Medha Rana, Eva Jane Willis, Gopal Datt, Sagar Arya
Warning: Spoilers Ahead:
Arjun Rampal is headlining a new detective series titled London Files this weekend. The series, which is spread across just six episodes, revolves around a detective named Om Singh (Arjun) and a complicated, high-profile case he has been asked to solve. The case is of a missing girl named Maya (Medha Rana), who is the daughter of an influential media baron Amar Roy (Purab Kohli). Amar is depicted as a controversial figure in the UK who is in favour of the anti-immigration law in the country.
On the surface, the case seems simple — a girl has gone missing, her father is involved in suspicious activities and a strained father-daughter relationship. Suddenly, a Jane Doe is discovered and all clues conveniently are pointing at the father. However, as Om begins to dig deeper, he uncovers that there is more to than what meets the eyes.
While he uncovers the truth of his case, Om is also forced to retrospect. The detective deals with his traumatic past as well. His son opened fire at his school which leads to a mass shootout. He was arrested immediately and put behind bars. The incident also led to his broken marriage. While he tries to bury his past, the case on hand forces him to revisit his old life. Soon, he finds a connection between his son’s mass killing incident and the missing Maya.
As Om connects the dots, he uncovers the impact of the immigration bill on several London residents, their plans to cause havoc in the city and more. Does Om manage to stop the chaos from happening? Well, I’d leave it to you to find out.
However, I would say that London Files serves as a good watch. It is a quintessential detective drama that is packed with traditional elements such as plot twists, intensity and cliffhangers that want you to return for the next episode. Although the series is a slow-burner — you would have to wait until the third episode to really understand the bigger picture of the series — it doesn’t drag episodes for the sake of it. Each episode is an average of 35 minutes and director Sachin Pathak has packed in enough elements to keep you hooked until the end.
Owing to its short duration, Sachin makes each episode crisp by not wandering around unnecessary subplots and drama. The series leans on flashbacks to connect the case’s investigation with Om’s traumatic past. While the flashbacks do make the episode a little patchy, even confusing the timelines for a bit, Sachin chooses to limit them to matter-of-fact moments which helps keep the steady pace of the show.
Arjun Rampal as Om carries London Files effortlessly on his shoulders. Playing the trauma and grief-stricken cop who is torn between his beliefs and his love for his son, Arjun shines in many intense scenes. Purab Kohli as baron Amar Roy supports Arjun well in scenes. Gopal Datt is also one of the biggest highlights of the series.
If you’re in the mood for a short and fast series that you can binge in one sitting, I’d recommend London Files to you.
