Black Warrant, the web series based on the book of the same name and delving into life inside Delhi’s Tihar Jail, is streaming now on Netflix. The much-awaited web show created a lot of buzz after the trailer dropped on the internet.
Black Warrant web series is based on the 2019 non-fiction book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, written by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhry. Zahan Kapoor plays the role of Sunil Gupta, who served as the jailer at Tihar for more than three decades.
Black Warrant web series plot
Sunil Kumar Gupta (Zahan Kapoor) has just been appointed as one of the three assistant superintendents of prison (ASP) at Tihar, Delhi’s most high-profile jail. For the job profile that requires dealing with hardened criminals at the prison, Gupta is dismissed as someone timid and not cut out for the assignment.
After he is turned away by the jail superintendent who refuses to induct him, Gupta encounters a suave and suited-booted gentleman inside the Tihar. It later turns out that the English-speaking chap was none other than the notorious Charles Sobhraj.
Sobhraj enters the jail superintendent’s cabin and within a short span of time, Gupta is inducted. But the life inside prison is in no ways similar to the one shown in movies. Sunil Gupta has a wily superior in DSP Rajesh Tomar (Rahul Bhat), whose motto is to maintain peace in the jail, by hook or by crook.
Sunil along with other rookie ASPs Vikas Dahiya (Anurag Thakur) and Shivraj Singh Mangat (Paramvir Cheema) learn about the grim realities of prison on the ground.
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After a jail inspection by the then Union home minister goes horribly wrong, Sunil is suspended and the jail SP transferred. But all is not over. He gets a second chance to redeem himself: manage the execution of Ranga and Billa.
Kuljeet Singh alias Ranga and Jasjit Singh alias Billa were sentenced to death for the brutal murder of Geeta and Sanjay Chopra that took place in 1978. Sunil has to shoulder a ‘smooth’ execution of the duo if he wants his job back.
But managing the execution is not as easy as it seems. Sunil has to supervise day-to-day preparations while evading a journalist who was out to question the sentencing. Is he able to ensure a hassle-free execution of one of the most high-profile murderers? You will get to know only if you watch the show.
Black Warrant web series cast and crew
Black Warrant is created by Vikramaditya Motwane and Satyanshu Singh. As mentioned earlier Zahan Kapoor plays the lead role of jail officer Sunil Gupta. Kapoor, who made his debut in Faraaz, is a member of the Kapoor family. He is the son of Kunal Kapoor and grandson of Shashi Kapoor. Ranbir Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor are his second cousins.
Rahul Bhat, who shot to fame with 1999 television show Heena, plays the role of a stern DSP Rajesh Tomar. He was last seen in Anurag Kashyap’s 2023 thriller Kennedy.
Paramvir Singh Cheema, seen in TVF’s web show Sapne vs Everyone, plays the role of a Sikh jail officer Shivraj Singh Mangat. Also featuring in the show are Joy Sengupta, Tota Roy Choudhury, Rajendra Gupta and Mir Sarwar.
Black Warrant web series review
Black Warrant is a real and grim view of the life inside Tihar Jail. The sequences are real with several scenes which would make you say: ‘Oh gosh! Does it happen in jails for real?’ Zahan Kapoor and Rahul Bhat are the ones to watch out for in this show.
The execution sequences are realistic and require viewer discretion for watching them. Overall, Vikramaditya Motwane has given a web series that can be listed among the best in this new year.