‘Kankhajura’ review: An engaging look at insidious evil

A magpie is a noisy bird attracted to shiny objects – or, in police parlance, a prison informer who spies on his cellmates. The Israeli thriller Magpie, adapted into the Hindi series Kankhajura, is about one such man. (There is no equivalent in India, where a thrashing gets a confession most of the time.)

Ashu (Roshan Mathew ) is innocent and meek in appearance, but his handler describes him as “dangerous”. Convicted for murder, Ashu comes out of jail earlier than expected due to his informing gigs for inspector Leena (Heeba Shah). Ashu goes to live with his brother Max (Mohit Raina), Max’s wife Naina (Sara Jane Dias) and daughter Ira (Kurangi Vijayshree Nagraj).

In the 14 years that Ashu spent behind bars, Max has become a real estate tycoon. He’s on the verge of starting a major project, provided he can get the existing residents to leave. Max is having trouble with the female slumlord of the area he wants for his project – Deshmukh (a perfectly cast Usha Nadkarni), her sons (Sachin Ashok Shinde, Sarur Gaikwad) and a disgruntled nephew (Pratap Madhavrao Phad).

Max’s aides Pedro (Ninad Kamat) and Shardul (Mahesh Shetty) are unable to help find a way out. Max’s politician uncle (Anant Jog)...

Read more