Lost Boy Productions twin episodes of Code Red Talaash aired on 20th & 21st April on Colors created quite an air of mystery, fear and thrill for viewers. Based on true life stories, the two episodes focused on crimes committed on women and the repercussions faced by the crime doer.
The first episode opens up brilliantly with a young girl exiting out of a nightclub flagging down an auto to her home late after midnight. The auto driver drops her safe and sound at her residence. The fare comes up to 45 rupees and the girl whose face is hidden in darkness offers him a 500 rupee note. As the auto driver expresses his inability to find the correct change, the girl asks him to wait while she gets the required change from her house. After waiting for a long time when the girl doesn’t turn up, the driver reaches her flat where her father on opening the door offers him his money. But the living daylights are smashed out of his head when he sees the picture of the same girl that he had dropped hanging on the wall inside her flat adorned with flowers indicating that she is dead. As chill runs down his spine realizing that he had just ferried a dead soul, the driver scoots away to safety while the dead girl’s father puts on an understanding smile.
The episode then moves into flashback mode to reveal that the girl named Aarohi was gang raped and killed by an auto driver and his friend. Aarohi then returns as a ghost to extract vengeance and ends up killing the criminals while they were in the midst of raping yet another teenage girl.
The episode scores highly on the element of suspense thrown around. The scripting is tight with no room left for extraneous and unwanted scenes and the direction to the point. Sana Amin Sheikh playing the lead role of Aarohi, a girl who is gang raped by an auto driver and his friend, displays the right kind of vulnerability needed by the character.
Episode 2 has the seasoned Shilpa Saklani playing the unfortunate victim of a drunk and driving case. The scene where she pleads the youths who mowed her son down makes for a heart touching watch. Her incomparable grief at losing her only son and her fight for justice even after her death makes for compelling viewing.
Head of Lost Boy, talented and creative Vikas Gupta needs a special mention for weaving a must-to-be seen story in the most sensitive manner. The special appearances by Shaleen Malhotra and Anita Hassanandani as prime narrators of the respective episodes only added to the extra charm.
Code Red Talaash, in terms of its eerie stories and meticulous execution, is a must watch. The detailed emphasis on each and every aspect of filming is quite refreshing in the otherwise rush rush nature of the Indian television industry.