Web Series Review: Shaque: Trust No One

Shaque: Trust No One Review

SHAQUE: TRUST NO ONE stars Parineeti Chopra, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anup Soni, Harleen Sethi, and Jennifer Winget. The series is directed by Rensil D'Silva.

The story follows Anvita Dutt (Parineeti Chopra), who resides in Shimla with her husband Alok (Tahir Raj Bhasin) and mother-in-law Madhu (Soni Razdan). After giving birth to a baby girl named Apeksha, her world crashes when a woman disguised as a nurse kidnaps the baby. Inspector Khurana (Anup Soni) investigates the case, while the kidnapper sends annual photographs of Apeksha on her birthday. Years later, after giving birth to a second daughter, Siddhi, Anvita suspects that a newly arrived neighbor's daughter, Rhea, is actually her missing child Apeksha.

Story and Direction

Rensil D'Silva's direction provides a mass-appealing, thrilling treatment similar to a Hindi film. The 7-episode series features a fast-paced narrative with episodes lasting 30 to 40 minutes. Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal penned the dialogues, striking a balance between dramatic and realistic one-liners.

While the show keeps viewers hooked with constant developments and twists, it also relies on cinematic liberties and features predictable suspense with some unresolved subplots.

Performances

Parineeti Chopra delivers a solid comeback performance in a challenging and complex role. Tahir Raj Bhasin delivers a first-rate performance, while Anup Soni is terrific as Inspector Khurana. Jennifer Winget and Harleen Sethi bring strong, power-packed gravitas to their respective roles. The ensemble cast also features Sumeet Vyas, Soni Razdan, Dhruv Chaudhary, Veer Rajwant Singh, Nasirr Khan, Tarana Raja, Rajiv Khanna, Ebedat Hussain, and Trisha Bisht.

Technical Aspects

The series features no songs and includes a background score by Raju Singh. Jishnu Bhattacharjee handles the cinematography, capturing the locales of Shimla and Chail, with production design by Pria Suhas and additional production design by Mayur Sharma. Costumes are managed by Varsha Chandanani and Shilpa Makhija, action by Vicky Arora, and editing by Shweta Venkat Mathew.

Rating: 3 stars