‘Crime Beat’ review: A compulsively conspiratorial show

The makers of Crime Beat cannot entirely be blamed for their compulsively conspiratorial depiction of investigative journalism. The source of Crime Beat is a former reporter.

The ZEE5 series directed by Sudhir Mishra and Sanjeev Kaul is based on Somnath Batabyal’s 2013 novel The Price You Pay. Kaul’s adaptation fans a belief about the media popularised by one of its most celebrated practitioners: hammam mein sab nange hain. Everyone is on the take.

New Delhi, 2011. We’re in the good old days when the headlines are hogged by corruption, rather than censorship or the steady erosion of civil liberties.

Reporter Abhishek (Saqib Saleem) is obsessed with being on the front page, whatever the modus operandi. His quest lands him at the venerated English-language Express newspaper, whose chief editor Amir (Danish Husain) is initially leery of Abhishek’s capabilities. Abhishek finds an ally in seasoned photographer Pashupati (Kishor Kadam) and an attractive competitor in his colleague Maya (Saba Azad).

The whereabouts of the kidnapper Binny (Rahul Bhat) and his accomplice Archana (Sai Tamhankar) promises to be a career-making scoop. In addition to Abhishek, minister Rawat (Vipin Sharma), top cop Uday (Rajesh Tailang) and Uday’s deputy Mayank (Adinath Kothare) are hot on Binny’s trail.

Abhishek’s methods are dodgy. Amir isn’t exactly a pillar of rectitude, while also mangling his English. Binny…

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