'Clean Up Company' review: Jisshu Sengupta is stellar in crime-drama
What's the story
MX Player's new crime drama series, Clean Up Company, is directed and written by Rohan Ghose, with Konarak Mukherjee as the co-writer. Featuring a riveting ensemble comprising Jisshu Sengupta, Saswata Chatterjee, Ravi Kishan, and Vishal Jethwa, among others, the series boasts an interesting premise and several twists. However, the excessive, nauseating gore and too many sub-plots stop it from reaching its full potential.
Plot
3 friends clean up crime scenes for gangsters
The series, released on Friday, comprises eight episodes, each 35-45 minutes long.
The plot follows three cash-strapped friends, Raju, Swapan, and Goldie, who dispose of dead bodies for gangsters in Saribgunj.
An exorbitant amount of money flows in as they establish this "startup," but as fortunes rise, so do their enemies.
Sengupta essays a corrupt politician named Sitesh, while Chatterjee plays an IPS officer.
#1
Sengupta is the show's tour de force
Sengupta is a thorough delight: a ruthless, dishonest, intimidating politician who rules Saribgunj with an iron fist.
Sitesh (called Mejda by his cronies) is an irredeemable villain through and through, and his charged confrontations with Indranath are among the show's best parts.
It also helps that both these characters are well-fleshed-out, and you're consistently interested in knowing their next move.
#2
Jethwa is another standout actor
Jethwa, who made a stellar debut with Mardaani 2 and later earned accolades for Homebound, immerses himself in the role.
He plays Raju, a daring, shrewd, and ambitious man who wants to flip his life quickly, come what may.
Raju often gets into rage-fueled arguments with Goldie (Ajitesh Gupta) and Swapan (Amey Wagh), and Jethwa's artistic skills bloom to life in such scenes.
#3
Where does the project fail?
Despite these strengths, the series suffers from an overstretched, predictable plot.
On most occasions, there are too many characters on-screen, making the story muddled and confusing.
The show would have benefited from shorter, fast-paced episodes.
The makers also needed to dig deeper into Goldie, Swapan, and Raju's lives—Who were they before destiny (and greed) pulled them into the world of crime?
#4
Will remind you of several other crime shows
The political manoeuvring, the baahubali culture, and the dark, all-consuming world of gang wars will remind you of Mirzapur.
If you love this genre, Clean Up Company might pull you in, but too many OTT projects follow the same trend, ultimately becoming lackluster.
The idea of minting money by disposing of corpses is intriguing, but the show becomes predictable too soon.
Verdict
Watchable, but feels like more of the same
Clean Up Company thrives in parts due to its rich, intriguing premise and the dependable ensemble.
Sengupta and Chatterjee are particularly remarkable, elevating the episodes with their experience.
However, fewer episodes and a sharper, tighter screenplay would have made the show a nail-biter.
With contrived storylines and cardboard characters, Clean Up Company stumbles its way to the finish line.
2.5/5 stars.