Black Warrant Review: This Netflix Drama is Going To Send Shivers Down Your Spine

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We have all seen jail in many movies. But have you ever wondered what actually goes on behind the bars? Black Warrant, a new cop series on Netflix, shows us the real, raw, and unseen reality of Asia's biggest prison: Tihar Jail. The seven-episode series directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and based on the book co-authored by jailer Sunil Kumar Gupta and journalist Sunetra Chowdhary is a peek into the lives of those operating prison.

The series begins with a young timid man entering a room for a police interview. After seeing his stature and questioning why he really needed the job, he explained that it was the only one available at the moment. To his surprise, he is the only qualified candidate and gets hired in an instant. Sunil Kumar (Zahan Kapoor) a rookie cop enters the notorious Tihar jail in the hope of beginning this journey with honour and determination. With him, two other new recruits Vipin Dahiya (Anurag Thakur) and Shivraj Singh Mangat (Paramvir Cheema) join the duty as soon as they reach the station. But all is not well for Sunil as he gets judged instantly by his physique and is sent back home. With no expectations he decides to return back and there, he meets Charles Shobhraj (Sidhant Gupta) who makes it possible for him to join as a jailor.

Soon he understands how far corruption is entangled in the lives of people in the prison and how closely prison officers work together with the inmate gangs to smuggle drugs and alcohol in and out for their own interest. He realizes that the prison is run by three gangs the Tyagi Gang which handles the drug trade, the Rana Gang which handles the alcohol trade and the Sardar Gang, a group of Sikhs who almost keep to themselves. Slowly he understands the ropes of how things work in prison and tries to adjust to it. Everything is under control until one night the Home Minister is here to inspect the prison and finds one inmate drunk. The story lands as the headlines in the papers and results in his own suspension. With the transfer of Billa and Ranga who are about to get death sentences for raping and murdering two teenagers in Tihar Sunil is also back in action. But with his return, he sure will have to battle his conscience and morals to keep food on the table. 

Vikramaditya Motwane known for Sacred Games is back with a chilling cop drama that is going to hit every note in the right place. Under his direction, Black Warrant emerges as a series where the corruption and some hard-hitting truths of Tihar Jail surface. Each character is drawn sharply into a world where you are thrown into a world full of people who are often pitted against each other in a bid to survive every day in this hell. From the very start, he does not hesitate to show how the system functions and how hard it affects the people operating it.

Black Warrant is nothing without its powerful cast who were able to deliver such a highly commendable performance. Zahan Kapoor as Sunil Kumar is vulnerable and is on point in portraying the young timid cop. He is quite sincere and is effortless in showing aggression and regret the character requires. With such control in his act, he sure has a long way to go. Anurag Thakur as Vipin Dahiya a Haryanvi cop who does not give a second thought while cussing is always the first to resort to violence. The character's transformation of how he starts to understand how connections matter is a sight to watch. Paramvir Cheema as Mangat is a Sikh who finds himself in the middle of Sunil and Dahiya. From fighting his own demons to coming to terms with how hard his job is something it hits hard. Also, how can you forget the two-faced boss Rajesh Tomar played by Rahul Bhatt who keeps you on your toes in every scenario.

At its heart Black Warrant series raises intense questions about justice. Are prisons meant to be punished or reformed? Is it a place that is too dark that no one can survive it? The screenplay challenges the viewers to think beyond the title and see the human stories behind all the statistics. The series will also make you feel to see the prisoners as people who are flawed yet capable of change. From covering some of the chilling cases like Maqbool Bhat to Charles Shobhraj- The Bikini Killer it seems the series covers the events occurring in the 1980's and in the following years.

Black Warrant is undeniably heavy but it depicts the raw and unsettling truth of Tihar Jail in its absolute raw form. It is a series that is going to compel you to see the world through the eyes of the prisoners gathering some sympathy and the change our society needs in treating them as humans. It truly is a series that is going to linger long even after it ends. All said if you are a fan of true crime then Black Warrant is just perfect for your next watch.