Out-of-depth dark chapter

The second season of the Hindi adaptation of BBC hit series ‘Cheat’ is a drag, to say the least. It’s an unnecessary extension given to a mini-series that had concluded on a high note. ‘Mithya’ was a psychological thriller that followed the life of Hindi professor Juhi Adhikari (Huma Qureshi) at Oakhill Estate University, who suspects her student, Rhea (Avantika Dassani), of plagiarism. The academic dispute eventually escalates into murder. It wasn’t a whodunit though. The first season had ended on a note that had us questioning motives and morals.

This follow-up mini-series, titled ‘The Darker Chapter’, feels forced and unnecessary. The twists appear to be mandatory and the thrills lack edge, tension and bite. There is hardly anything interesting happening here. The storyline feels convoluted and illogical. Rhea’s character takes on a turn for the worse. Her revenge mindset defies logic. There’s nothing organic to the motivations or character actions on display here.

The events of the last season may have propelled this turn of events. Juhi and Rhea’s antagonism towards each other continues unabated. There’s nothing interesting or explosive about that though. This season is about revenge. It’s the men who play the spoilsport. Juhi’s father Anand makes decisions that continue to confound the viewer. Amit Chaudhary (Naveen Kasturia) goes on and on about his father’s abusive nature and Rhea Rajguru cries hoarse about being unloved by either of her fathers.

Rhea and Amit are on Juhi and Anand’s trail. But Amit’s motivations lose steam much quicker than expected.

The twists in the story don’t make much sense. The attempt to outdo the effect of the first season feels strained and overdone. The intrigue is facile at best. The over-the-top drama plays out annoyingly and the psychological byplay is missing. At the end of it all, the protagonist fails to garner our sympathy. The narrative veers around in an uncontrolled and unhinged fashion, throwing up events that go against the grain. Simplistic resolutions and unsatisfying payoffs are a bane here.

We understand that lack of parental supervision can wreck lives, but that underlying theme is not presented with guile or heft, so it hardly registers as a consequence. Revenge stories have become passe so even that aspect has no real novelty here.

The writing feels lacklustre, as do the performances. ‘The Darker Chapter’, in conclusion, feels rather put-on and fabricated and is devoid of any finesse.

There is no real impact to this drama and the efforts to eke out a third season with a questionable ending may prove to be rather fruitless.