Not quite the bull’s eye
Image source: ALTBalaji
The much-hyped thriller Code M by ALTBalaji and Zee5 is now streaming and is a mixed bag of hits and misses.
Story
Three Army officers, Major Shakti, Major Gaurav and Major Ajay attack a terrorist hideout after receiving a tip off about arms smuggling near Rajasthan border. During the attack, two militants, Asif and Khalid get killed and Major Ajay loses his life as well in the crossfire.
Following the encounter, the villagers demand an enquiry into the killings of the two local boys claiming it to be a fake encounter. Major Monica Mehra (Jennifer Winget), an officer from the Indian Army’s JAG (Judge Advocate General) branch, is assigned to legally investigate the case.
Major Shakti and Major Gaurav are assisted by their legal counsel Angad Sandhu (Tanuj Virwani) who in turn joins Monica. Together they discover the most startling truth and stumble across many buried skeletons in the process.
Performances
This show is dominated by Jennifer Winget as Major Monica Mehra. She passes the test with flying colours and steers the show single-handedly to triumph with her elegant acting and arresting looks.
The onscreen chemistry between Winget and Tanuj Virwani is full-fledged eye candy. An assertive performance by Rajat Kapoor as Col Suryaveer Chauhan establishes his versatility once again. Aalekh Kapoor as Major Shakti Mandappa and Keshav Sadhna as Major Gaurav Shekawat excel in their respective roles.
Positives
The Screenplay by Shubha Chatterjee is appealing while Udbhav Ojha’s background score is breezy. Director Akshay Chaubey has handled the plot and characters very well.
The investigation into an encounter by army personnel against the army is a novel setting and the director along with story consultant Aniruddha Guha deserve applause for their effort.
It’s unbelievable to see the caste and class discrimination enter the ranks of our defence forces. This high point of this series which is based on this discrimination is somewhat hard to swallow yet impactful.
Negatives
The defence setting is not used effectively as the whole investigation appears to be a regular procedure. It is easy to sometimes forget that Winget is an officer as the plot normalises the situation which has been earlier seen on screen multiple times.
The series’ plus point is also its Achilles’ heel. The focus on Winget’s performances and presence is so high that it leaves little room for other brilliant actors to make an impact.
Worth it?
Code M should be checked out atlaest once but it may not be for everyone. However, you are sure to love it if you are a Jennifer Winget fan.
