Lukkhe Review: Star Rating:
Cast: King, Raashii Khanna, Lakshvir Singh Saran, Palak Tiwari, Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Kritika Bharadwaj, Shivankit Parihar, Yograj Singh, Ayesha Raza, Akarsh Khurana
Creator: Agrim Joshi, Deobjit Das, Purkayashtha
Director: Himank Gaur
Streaming On: Prime Video
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 8 episodes of 45 – 50 minutes each
There is something about the Punjab-Drug-Rap trope that Bollywood just won’t let go of. It’s like that one guilty pleasure we keep going back to because the music is good and the vibes are edgy. Prime Video’s latest offering, Lukkhe, dives into this chaotic world. But does it fly like Udta Punjab or drown in its own ambition? Well, there is no distinct line to answer this question. But the series works in parts.
The show follows the journey and rivalry of two aspiring musicians and small-time hustlers caught in the vicious web of drug peddling in Punjab. We’ve seen the “drugs are bad” narrative a thousand times, but here, it’s layered with the aspirations and hunger of the rap scene. It’s a world of fame, family, and the fine art of survival.
Lukkhe Review: What’s It About:
So, like Udta Punjab, Lukkhe introduces three families caught and destroyed due to drugs. It begins with the story of two friends – Lucky and Aman, budding hockey players. But Lucky is a drug addict, and life takes the hardest turn for these two friends. Then there is Nihaal Singh, aka rapper Badnaam, who is in a constant battle with another rapper, OG. Nihaal Singh makes sure to keep power and money in his pocket through his side business, luring kids into drugs! Finally, there is Raashii Khanna, a diligent police officer who has lost her own family to drugs and makes sure that this evil does not rot the youth in Chandigarh! All of their paths meddle with each other, and it turns into an 8-episode show that impresses in parts but loses the plot most of the time.
Lukkhe Review: What Works:
When you cast King, the music better be iconic. Thankfully, the soundtrack is the heartbeat of this show. The raps are good to score and elevate the gritty Punjab setting. It’s not just background noise, it’s a character in itself. The melodies are also well composed! The show doesn’t just focus on the high; it focuses on the hustle as well. The way it bridges the gap between the dark alleys of addiction and the neon lights of a famous musician’s life is good. The emotional stakes try to keep you anchored.
Lukkhe Review: Star Performance:
Lakshvir Saran is the dark horse. He delivers a performance that feels the most authentic to the Punjabi setting, often outshining the bigger names in scenes that require raw vulnerability. Raashii Khanna holds the plot well, but it keeps circling in endless loops, and even she looks exhausted with the pressure to carry this on her shoulders without aiming for a clean end!
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Lukkhe Review: What Doesn’t Work:
Look, I might like King on a concert stage, but lead-actor energy? It is still a work in progress. Raashii Khanna is predictably solid, but Palak Tiwari feels like she’s stepped out of a different world. The chemistry is often missing, and these below-average casting choices make it hard to believe in the grit of the characters. They do not fit in the dark alleys of Punjab!
If you’re expecting a fast-paced thriller, you might want to double-speed your player. The show is slow. I would cut some slack if it had taken its sweet time to build the world. But no, it just keeps circling in loops like it is high on drugs occasionally!
Apart from these major issues, the one thing that kept nagging me was clearly Palak Tiwari, King, and Shivankit Singh Parihar’s casting! Palak tries hard, but she seems like a misfit. Even calling her brother Veere/Veera (elder brother in Punjabi) has such a South Bombay accent that I cannot be any less brutal! Shivankit tries too hard to play the villain rapper, OG. But instead of a tattooed body, his tattooed skin, is such an evident costume malfunction! I mean I cannot unsee it since the first frame.
Lukkhe Review: Last Words:
Lukkhe definitely has a heart, but a heart that does not work properly. The slow and steady approach generally pays off eventually if the emotional core of the story is intact. Directed by Himank Gaur and created by Agrim Joshi and Debojit Das Purkayastha, the show turns into chaos in the finale.
At its core, the show is still a drugs and power tale. We’ve seen the corrupt cops, the grieving mothers, and the ambitious drug lords before. This one adds a rap-layer to it, but beneath the hoodie, the skeleton of the story is something we have seen in countless other dramas.
With this premise, the show could be much better. With better casting. With better writing, and definitely with better pace.
2 star
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The post Lukkhe Review Ft. King, Palak Tiwari & Raashii Khanna: Brilliant Music, Good Premise, Average Casting – But Slow & Steady Not Always Win The Race! appeared first on Koimoi.
