Get ready for the first superstar debut on Indian OTT as Ajay Devgn takes on the role of a cop on a mission in Disney+Hotstar’s new crime drama, Rudra—The Edge of Darkness. Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios India, Rudra… promises a high-octane crime thriller with a gripping story that sees DCP Rudra Veer Singh fight the wrong and uphold the law. The trailer is out today.
Can pinning one’s hopes on humanity push one towards sacrificing everything to save it? Disney+ Hotstar’s latest crime thriller takes viewers on this journey into the dark oceanic depths of criminal minds. The series is coming soon on Disney+Hotstar and will be available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam and Bengali.
Directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, this psychological crime drama is headlined by celebrated actor Ajay Devgn, in the fierce avatar of a cop for the very first time on a digital series. Spanning 6 episodes, this series is an Indian rendition of the iconic, globally-successful British series, Luther.
The stellar cast includes Raashi Khanna, Esha Deol, Atul Kulkarni, Ashwini Kalsekar, Tarun Gahlot, Ashish Vidyarthi and Satyadeep Misra.
The dark and complex narrative is of an idiosyncratic race-against-the-clock thriller delving into the psyche of highly intelligent criminals and the detective who hunts them. It will see Ajay as an intuitive and instinctive police officer fighting for the truth in darkness, as he wades through a grim and complex web of crimes, criminals and corruption. As Ajay Devgn’s tweet says, “Criminal law todta hai aur main criminals ko (Criminals break the law and I break criminals).”
Mounted on a mammoth production scale, it has been shot across multiple unique locations in Mumbai and re-imagines the city from the lens of criminals. Says Ajay, “The world of digital streaming has always fascinated me, and I am excited to make my digital debut in long-format content with a riveting character such as Rudra. What enticed me about the character is his nuanced, multi-faceted personality and his grit; something that viewers have never witnessed before at this scale in Indian Entertainment. I am elated for my fans and viewers to witness the magic of Rudra come alive on screen and I hope they fall in love with the show as intensely as we have worked towards it.”
Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment, adds, “Rudra… as a series marks a first for Ajay Devgn, who will make his digital series debut, and we are thrilled that we got the opportunity to bring him to the world of Streaming. The show follows a troubled cop’s journey to seek the truth in a grim world of darkness. It is always exciting for us to collaborate with BBC Studios and that reflects in the great production values. With Rudra…, also we take forward our creative partnership with industry leader Disney+Hotstar, and hope to continue entertaining audiences all over the world.”
Director Rajesh Mapuskar states, “Rudra… is an exceptionally special series, narrative-wise, as it spins a darker and grimmer tale to the usual cop-and-crime drama. Here we have a grey hero, who believes in living in the dark to discover the truth. The psyche of criminal minds is explored here in a never-before-seen manner. The audience takes away some understanding of how the deeply alluring minds of the criminals work. I hope the series receives much love and appreciation from the audience.”
Esha Deol declares, “The love that I have received from my fans since the first announcement of my return has been humbling, and I am really glad to mark my comeback with a show as riveting as Rudra—The Edge of Darkness. It has been a thrilling ride to once again share the screen with my friend and co-actor Ajay Devgn, who from day one of our shoot, eased me into being back in front of the camera. During the shoot, we were back to sharing the same on-screen chemistry we have had while shooting for our earlier films together—and the innumerable pranks too! While being back to experiencing the pre-release rush, I really look forward to getting one step closer to the audience through my character and the show.”
Each episode in the series features a new threat, even as the overarching series arc continues, portraying the grave personal cost at which DCP Rudra Veer Singh pursues criminals and killers and the unlikely friendship that he forms with Aliyah, a genius sociopath. In the series, Mumbai, the metropolis, goes beyond being a mere backdrop for our hero’s vigilante actions but sets the very stage upon which the war between good and evil is waged. Even in this darkness, Rudra believes that there is still love in the world. Because in the end, humanity is all we have got. And it is for this belief that Rudra sacrifices everything he has.
Ajay’s digital debut will be followed by that of Akshay Kumar (The End) and Shahid Kapoor (in a Raj & DK-directed series). Esha Deol was last seen in two short films, Cakewalk (2019) and Ek Duaa (which she also co-produced in 2021). Rajesh Mapuskar made his directorial debut nine years ago with Ferrari Ke Sawaari and was acclaimed for his hit Marathi debut film, Ventilator (2016), which was produced by Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Ajay Devgn has co-starred with Esha Deol in Cash, Main Aisa Hi Hoon, Insan, Kaal, Yuva and LOC Kargil, but none of these films did well. Of course, they were not always cast in romantic leads opposite each other.
