Chiraiya Review
Director: Shashant Shah
Date Created: 2026-03-20 16:41
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Chiraiya Review: Directed by Shashant Shah and starring Divya Dutta in the role of Kamlesh, alongside Sanjay Mishra, Prasanna Bisht, Siddharth Shaw, Faisal Rashid, and a host of other actors, is a six-part web series, each episode being approximately 30 minutes long. The story is set in a small-town household steeped in tradition and revolves around the character of Kamlesh, an ideal daughter-in-law, whose values and ideals are challenged when she discovers a shocking revelation from her sister-in-law about her marriage.
Chiraiya Review
JioHotstar’s Chiraiya established its tone, which is not meant to soothe or calm the viewer but disturb and challenge their perceptions instead. It immediately tackles the uncomfortable topic of marital rape, which is not often tackled or considered acceptable in mainstream cinema. It also doesn’t waste time getting to the conflict and instead throws the viewer headfirst into the emotional turmoil of a family where silence and tradition seem to take precedence over truth and justice. This has clearly worked in its favour, making the first few episodes gripping and hard to look away from.
At the center of this story is Kamlesh, and she is portrayed by Divya Dutta in a way that is simply brilliant. She is a character conditioned by society and believes in the sanctity of marriage and the roles that come within it. The journey of this character is essentially the core of this series, as she is made to realize that maybe this entire system she believes in is flawed in some way. The conflict of this character is quite interesting to watch, and there are times when her actions seem misguided and infuriating, but it is this quality of her character that makes it so believable, as she essentially represents a large section of society.
Prasanna Bisht’s character of Pooja, who finds herself in the midst of all the trouble in the story, brings a certain calm but impactful presence to the screen. Her trauma is shown in a way that is both raw and vulnerable. The show does a good job of showing her isolation, how she’s never really alone in a crowd but still has to face her demons alone. However, at times, her character feels a bit underdeveloped, especially since more focus is given to Kamlesh’s character development than hers.
Siddharth Shaw as Arun does an excellent job playing the role of a person who exemplifies entitlement disguised as normalcy. His performance quietly underscores the tendency for problematic behavior to be normalized within families. Sanjay Mishra as the patriarch of the family does bring a sense of gravitas, although his character does veer towards exaggeration at times. Faisal Rashid as Kamlesh’s husband does bring a sense of balance to the role, representing those who are caught between tradition and understanding.
The Chiraiya series does not hold back in dealing with the concept of marriage not necessarily equalling consent. It does not hold back in dealing with the men who perpetuate this system, but it also holds back nothing in dealing with the women who unknowingly perpetuate the system. There’s a lot of emphasis on how conditioning in society can play a major role in shaping one’s perspective—how women are conditioned to tolerate, and men are never conditioned to tolerate themselves.
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However, where Divya Dutta’s Chiraiya fails is in its execution. Although the subject matter is very powerful, the storytelling in the show tries too hard to be dramatic at times. There are moments in the show where the storytelling seems to be forced, not in the sense that it’s not progressing well, but in the sense that it’s trying too hard to get the message across. There are too many dialogues and explanations in the show.
The rhythm of the story is also affected in this manner. Initially, it is a tight and character-driven drama. However, over time, it begins to stretch out, rehashing the same emotional beats over and over. While it is understandable in a certain sense, it does water down the impact from a storytelling perspective. A tighter approach would have served the story better.
Despite these issues, the acting is always strong. Divya Dutta is a particular highlight, effortlessly carrying the series and making sure that, no matter how weak the story is, the emotional content is always strong. The supporting actors are also a great help in making the family dynamic believable.
JioHotstar Chiraiya Review: Summing Up
What remains with you after watching Shashant Shah’s Chiraiya series is not just the story, but the questions that linger. The show makes you think about how embedded these behaviours have become and how difficult it is to change them, especially within the boundaries of family and tradition. The show may not always get it right as far as balance is concerned, but it is definitely commended for choosing to tackle such a sensitive subject.
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