Sep 25, 2026 12:02am IST
‘Hunkkaar: The Roar’ Review: Aneet Padda, Raghubir Yadav Stand Out In A Story About Faith, Power And Justice
There is something inherently unsettling about the idea of a godman being accused of a crime. When millions treat a man as the closest thing to God, where does faith end and blind devotion begin? And when that man is accused of sexually assaulting a minor, what happens when the people who worship him refuse to even entertain the possibility that he could be guilty?
“Hunkkaar: The Roar” takes this premise and turns it into a fictionalized battle between faith, power and the pursuit of justice. Set in Madhya Pradesh, the series follows the allegation made by 17-year-old Meenu Rawat (Aneet Padda) against Baapji, a hugely influential godman played by Raghubir Yadav. But the show is not merely interested in establishing whether a crime took place. Its larger focus is on what happens when the machinery of justice finds itself up against an almost untouchable figure.
That is where "Hunkkaar" becomes more interesting.
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The series essentially brings together three pillars — the police, the law and the media — and gives each of them a role in the pursuit of truth. Fatima Sana Shaikh plays ACP Jasleen, the investigating officer, who finds herself dealing with a case far bigger than she initially anticipated. Jasleen is nervous, hesitant and, at times, indecisive, and Fatima plays those qualities effectively. The character’s mistakes and moments of uncertainty become an important part of the investigation, particularly as the pressure around the case keeps mounting.
Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub, meanwhile, plays public prosecutor Bhalerao, a lawyer who believes in doing things by the book. His approach is refreshingly straightforward: verify the facts, follow the evidence and let the truth speak for itself. He isn’t written as a larger-than-life courtroom hero, which works in the show’s favor. He is simply a man trying to do his job in a case where almost everyone around him has something to lose.
Then there is Amitabh Sinha, played by Arjun Mathur, a journalist who begins to question what the media is doing with the story. Is journalism about manufacturing outrage and chasing ratings, or is it about finding facts and holding powerful people accountable? Amitabh’s journey gives the show one of its strongest ideas — that the media, like the police and the courts, has enormous power, and that power comes with responsibility.
The three characters eventually become linked by a common purpose: the belief that truth must prevail, no matter how many obstacles stand in its way.
Of course, “Hunkkaar: The Roar” does not reinvent the godman-versus-system template. There is the devoted mob, the threats, witnesses changing statements, attacks, media trials and attempts to manipulate the investigation. Much of this feels familiar. The show also occasionally becomes overly convenient in the way it piles one obstacle after another onto its protagonists.
What keeps it watchable is the performances.
Aneet Padda is particularly effective as Meenu. The character is deliberately complicated. There are details about her life that could make viewers question her credibility — her drinking, her relationship with someone, inconsistencies that are repeatedly brought up by those looking to discredit her. But the show makes an important distinction: none of those things determine whether she was assaulted. A person’s choices or character do not invalidate an allegation of sexual violence.
Padda has relatively little to do for much of the series, but she makes every bit of her defining courtroom sequence count. Without revealing what happens, it is a scene where Meenu is forced to confront the exhaustion of having to repeat her story again and again while the man accused of assaulting her continues to be treated with reverence. Padda brings the frustration, anger and helplessness of that moment to life with remarkable control. It is the performance’s most powerful stretch and one that gives the series considerable emotional weight.
But the undisputed star of "Hunkkaar" is Raghubir Yadav.
As Baapji, Yadav is magnificent. He manages to make the godman simultaneously charming, manipulative, unsettling and almost impossible to read. There is a childlike quality to his smile that makes his followers trust him, while the same expression becomes increasingly sinister as the story progresses. Yadav understands that the most frightening version of such a character isn’t someone who constantly appears threatening; it is someone who can remain calm while everyone around him is falling apart.
One sequence involving Babji casually swatting mosquitoes with a racket while events unfold elsewhere is particularly effective because of how little the character needs to say. Yadav’s performance does the work.
By the end, “Hunkkaar: The Roar” isn’t quite the gripping thriller it occasionally threatens to become, nor is it an exceptional series from start to finish. But it is a solid one-time watch with a clear purpose. Its strongest takeaway isn’t the case itself, but the idea of three institutions — the police, the law and the media — coming together in the pursuit of truth.
And if anything stays with you after the final episode, it will probably be Raghubir Yadav’s unforgettable Baapji and Aneet Padda’s powerful final stand.
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