Duranga Review: The K-drama remake is engaging, but Gulshan Devaiah-Drashti Dhami's chemistry is missing

Duranga is the Indian remake of the South Korean series Flower of Evil. The series, starring Gulshan Devaiah and Drashti Dhami, premiered on Zee5 on August 19.

The son of a serial killer accused of murder who is married to a cop. Interesting, no? But, how a fugitive managed to marry a police officer or how his deception never came to the fore, remains a mystery. As Sammit (Gulshan Devaiah) says, "Ira (Drashti Dhami) usi mein vishwas karti hai jo usse dikhta hai aur main usse wahi dikhata hoon jo woh dekhna chaahti hai." Maybe he has mastered the art of deceiving his wife.

Duranga, as the name suggests, is all about duality and deception. The series is about the two faces of lies - the good and the evil.

Sammit Patel is leading a dual life. He makes metal sculptures and lives with his wife, Ira, a police officer, and their daughter Anya (Hera Mishra). He is the perfect husband and father. Now, what if we tell you Sammit Patel is actually Abhishek Banne, living in disguise? Why? Because Abhishek is the son of Bala Banne, the infamous psychopath serial killer of Sarangwadi who committed suicide after his life of crime caught up to him. And now, Abhishek is also accused of killing the head of the village. Hence the disguise.

Here's the trailer of Duranga:

For 15 years, Abhishek's disguise has worked. But, it is now under threat after a gruesome murder happens in Mumbai, which brings Bala Banne's serial killing style into focus and makes Abhishek a major suspect. Vikas, a popular crime-journalist, famous for his sensational way of covering crimes, follows the case, which leads him to Abhishek.

Meanwhile, evidence finally leads Ira, who is also diligently investigating the murder, to her husband, making him the prime suspect. This turns her world upside down. Everything that she has believed in for the past 11 years turns out to be a lie.

Duranga is the official remake of the South Korean series Flower of Evil, which starred Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won in the lead roles. Duranga is engaging but isn't as good as the original. While Joon-gi and Chae-won's on-screen chemistry was one of the USPs of the romantic thriller, Drashti and Gulshan's lack of it reduces the Hindi version to just a thriller. Duranga also falls short in the production value department. It just isn't as grand as the K-drama.