Ashish Avinash Bende takes you back to the mid 1970s when technology did not aid the Police and both Ashutosh Gowarikar and Makarand Anaspure had hair.

Manvat Murders is an 8 episode long investigative series based on the book written by Ramakant Kulkarni.

Ramakant Kulkarni was an ex-cop who led the successful investigation of the Raman Raghav (serial killer) case and was nicknamed India’s Sherlock Holmes for his efficient solving of many such cases.

Manvat Murders is a similar case where Ramakant Kulkarni was sent to the village of Manwath in Parbhani, Maharashtra to solve the case of a series of murders happening there.

Ashutosh Gowariker has deftly played the by-the-book cop, this time being in the front of the camera instead of behind it.

The character sketches are brilliant with Makarand Anaspure – मकरंद अनासपुरे playing his part in a manner quite unlike his usual style and that’s a pleasure to watch.

But a standing ovation is deserved by Sonali Kulkarni for the excellent portrayal of Rukmini. With just a look of her eye you can see the evil right inside her heart (in the series).

Sai Tamhankar adds special value to the series through her performance though in the beginning she seemed to be miscast as a tribal, but she holds her space.

The series focuses more on the police procedure and the meticulous methodology of Ramakant Kulkarni rather than on the actual murders.

The only grouse I have is that the series is way too long. It could have easily been cut down by a couple of episodes by removing the unnecessary dream sequence and picking up the pace.

And yet, the series is immensely watchable for the crime genre viewers.

#DaMoRating: 7/10

Disclaimer: 2 points have been cut for the over lengthy episodes and the slow pace. 1 additional point has been cut for Ashutosh Gowarikar’s wig which was so silly.