Review ‘Kull’: A Royal Saga Drenched in Drama But Starved of Depth

JioHotstar’s new family thriller delivers shocks, secrets, and sibling rivalries, but lacks the emotional heft to make its legacy truly memorable.

In Kull – The Legacy of the Raisingghs, dysfunction is not just a theme, it’s a lifestyle. Set in the fictional princely state of Bilkaner, this eight-episode JioHotstar series attempts to explore the fractures within a powerful royal family on the eve of their patriarch’s 60th birthday. Created by Ektaa and Shobha Kapoor, and directed by Shahir Raza, Kull is brimming with palace intrigue, betrayal, and emotional showdowns—but not all of it lands.

Cast: Nimrat Kaur, Amol Parashar, Ridhi Dogra, Gaurav Arora, Suhaas Ahuja
Director: Shahir Raza
Rating: ★★

The Premise:
The show begins as the Raisinggh family converges at the palace to celebrate Chandra Pratap Raisinggh’s (Rahul Vohra) milestone birthday. His children arrive with emotional baggage and old resentments in tow—Indrani (Nimrat Kaur), the eldest daughter stuck in a childless marriage; Kavya (Ridhi Dogra), with business plans to turn the palace into a hotel; and Abhimanyu (Amol Parashar), the bratty heir apparent. Also entering the chaos is Brij (Gaurav Arora), the patriarch’s illegitimate but favoured son—unwelcome by his siblings but close to the man holding the crown.

What Works:
The murder of Chandra Pratap sets the plot ablaze, unlocking a trail of lies, secrets, and a power struggle within the family. Among the cast, Amol Parashar stands out as the unpredictable Abhimanyu—spoilt, wounded, desperate for validation—his nuanced performance adds depth to an otherwise unlikeable character. Nimrat Kaur brings elegance and restraint as the conflicted Indrani, especially shining in the latter half of the series.

Kull is paced like a soap but packaged like prestige drama. The twists come fast, each more outrageous than the last, and the show wears its flair for melodrama on its sleeve. At times, it feels like the writers are winking at the audience, inviting them to enjoy the ride no matter how far-fetched the road becomes.

Where It Falters:
Despite its high-octane narrative, Kull struggles to create lasting emotional resonance. The show barely lets its characters breathe—rarely offering quiet, introspective moments. We are told about Indrani’s pain, Abhi’s need for approval, but we seldom feel it. The writing leans more on drama than depth, glossing over opportunities to explore internal conflict or growth.

The show also steers clear of any critique of wealth or class. The Raisingghs are rich, entitled, and self-absorbed—and the show has no intention of interrogating that. Instead, it revels in their misery, making it more of a guilty pleasure than a thoughtful family drama.

Final Verdict:
Kull delivers glamour, twists, and palace drama in generous doses, but it never quite earns its emotional payoffs. It’s the kind of series you binge-watch for the scandals and cliffhangers, not for profound storytelling. The legacy of the Raisingghs may be riddled with secrets, but their inner lives remain frustratingly out of reach.