cp-webdeskYesterday, Netflix released the web series Guns and Gulab, starring Rajkumar Rao, Dulquer Salmaan, and the late actor Satish Kaushik. The story of the series show is set in the 1990s and was created by fusing Pyaar Mohabbat and Khoon Khare.
The exhilaratingly vivacious Netflix series unfolds in a twisted and toxic universe inhabited by opium dealers, gun-toting gangsters, a vicious knife-wielding assassin with seven lives, an anti-narcotics officer with a troubled past that catches up with him, and two reticent men with crippling father issues.In this amoral world where adults and schoolboys alike thrive on crossing the line, the gulaabs referred to in the title and the name of the small town in which the story is set are outnumbered. However, a ‘line of control’ runs through a nearby dhaba, dividing it into demarcated and inviolable zones for two rival gangs.
The handful of innocents who live in Gulaabgunj, nestled in the hills and dotted with opium fields, are at the mercy of two criminal gangs, one of which is based in Sherpur, 30 kilometres away. They compete for control of the proceeds of an illegal opium trade that operates outside the scope of government-licensed poppy cultivation.
Guns & Gulaabs begins with shots of a poppy farm, followed by a sequence of two schoolboys discussing the girls they are in love with, and a chase scene that culminates in a killing in broad daylight. As a result, the first few episodes of the series contain all three key components of the plot: opium, love, and violence.
The plot thickens and culminates in a thrilling finale, featuring secondary elements like a rivalry between two school students for badges. The characters in Gulaabgunj and Sherpur have ulterior motives and self-serving plans, with crooked men constantly changing their plans. The film blends small-town noir with 90s nostalgia, with a soundtrack featuring Hindi film songs from three decades ago. The murder of Babu Tiger and Jugnu, Ganchi’s son and successor, further complicates the story.
Guns & Gulaabs is a crime-filled drama that follows the lives of Ganchi, a hired killer, and his team, including Arjun Verma and Sukanto, who work together to produce refined opium for the Calcutta drug mafia. The story revolves around the gang’s dealings with farmers, gangsters, and buyers, as well as the police officer’s relationship with his wife Madhu. The film also explores the complexities of family dynamics and the reluctance of the characters to inherit their father’s dodgy legacy. The story is a tribute to the early 1990s, Hindi cinema, and music, with the characters resembling those of the gang. The plot and soundtrack are filled with references to the era, and the series features a love ditty and a reference to the cult kung-fu film, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin.
It features strong performances from Rajkummar Rao, Dulquer Salmaan, Gulshan Devaiah, and Adarsh Gourav. The male-dominated cast touches on gender and masculinity, with TJ Bhanu shining brightly. Pooja A. Gor and Shreya Dhanwanthary also make a strong presence.
