Dhanbad Blues is one of Hoichoi’s early original productions, launched in the platform’s inaugural year (2017-18). It attempts to transplant the gritty, neo-noir crime genre – popularized globally by series like Narcos or Sacred Games – into the small-town coal-mining heartland of Eastern India.
Music, Blues
| | Score | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Story / Writing | 6.5 | Good premise, predictable execution | | Acting (Lead) | 8.0 | Rudranil Ghosh carries the show | | Acting (Supporting) | 6.0 | Kaushik Sen wasted; Anirban overacts | | Direction | 6.5 | Vision exceeds budget | | Cinematography | 5.5 | Often too dark or shaky | | Sound & Music | 7.0 | Ambient sound excellent; score generic | | Authenticity | 7.5 | Locations real, but dialect fails | | Overall Impact | 6.8 | Watchable, not essential |
The series excels in pacing. It begins with a frantic energy—Kunal's escape from Kolkata—and settles into a tense, slow-burn suspense in Dhanbad. As Kunal tries to navigate the politics of the local dons and the corrupt police, he realizes that escape is impossible. The law of the land is not written in statutes but in blood and money.