The Whistleblower review: Ritwik Bhowmik is impressive in Manoj Pillai's intense, entertaining crime drama

Creating an interesting investigative drama requires careful handling of the subject, attention to detail and a stellar storyline. Manoj Pillai's directorial debut, The Whistleblower, has all these elements in spades as well as the added advantage of excellent production values.

Created by Ritesh Modi, and written by Ajay Monga and Shivang Monga, the series is a thrilling deep dive into the infamous Madhya Pradesh pre-medical test (PMT) scam and does not fail to entertain. 

Sanket (Ritwik Bhowmik) is a thrill-seeking young doctor enjoying the privilege and comforts afforded by the wealth of his father (Sachin Khedekar). While the patriarch seeks to build a reliable, reputed medical college, the son is on the lookout for opioids and alcohol. Things change when he discovers a money-minting machine in the form of the PMT racket. Lured by the charming Jairaj Jatav (Ravi Kishan), he is drawn in by the thrill of the criminal life. When things go awry, Sanket has little choice but to expose the scam. Except, the web includes everyone from the havaldar at the local police station to the officials in state government. 

Manoj's series gets its strength from a well-written story and script by Ajay Monga and Shivang Monga. Taut, with multiple narrative layers, the screenplay keeps you engrossed from the first to last episode. Manoj does well to slowly unravel the story thread by thread, just as carefully as an investigative report does. The level of detail the story goes into feels real and relatable. Corruption in The Whistleblower is not ascribable to an error in the system, but an outcome of the system itself. And a whistleblower, or journalist, cannot set the system right. In fact, they become the bug in it that needs to be eliminated. While the series does resort to cliches towards the end, it manages to keep you involved at every beat.

From Sanket's first misdemeanour to his slow descent into crime, and the unravelling of the narrative thread, the show does not disappoint. Ankita Sharma plays Pragya, Sanket's moral compass and only solace; she is combative, tender, and incisive. It is comforting to have a woman who is, for once, not a sidekick, but just as complex and involved in a procedural and Sharma plays the part with maturity and composure. 

Ashish Verma's character Anoop is an investigative journalist whose role expands as the scam is exposed. From his first scene as a mere bystander at a hospital, he makes an impact. Mousy, curious, but very intelligent, he captures the risks, courage and occasional foolhardiness that defines journalists on the ground. His role in directing and questioning Sanket's moral stands makes for an interesting conflict. 

Kishan shines as the charismatic schemer Jairaj. He switches between violent malice and charming buffoonery with ease. It is sad how underrated he is as an actor. He is matched at every step by the young Bhowmik. The actor, who made his debut in Bandish Bandits (2020), has a mature presence. His shift from a loose, devil-may-care youngster to a determined Machiavellian hero is quite the arc. His dialogue delivery and energy make him one to watch.

There are some brilliant supporting performances including the delightful Bhagwan Tiwari as the corrupt cop. He is bristling with violence in every scene. Khedekar plays the idealistic father to a T and makes an impact. Hemant Kher is quite good as the shadowy industrialist. Throw in some stellar performances by Ramgopal Bajaj, Sonali Kulkarni and Zakir Hussain and you have an immensely watchable series. 

Holding it all together is Manoj's direction. The varied elements of the story, including the emotional arcs underpinning each character, come together seamlessly. The visual production and sound design (a word of praise for Ketan Sodha's background score) are impeccable. The sound design creates an atmospheric experience that adds to the thrill factor of the script.

The first season of The Whistleblower is a promising start. Its taut, detailed script and impactful performances make one curious and, perhaps, optimistic about the promise a second season may hold. 

The Whistleblower is being streamed on SonyLIV.