Sultan of Delhi (transl. King of Delhi) is an Indian Hindi-language period crime thriller television series written by Suparn Verma and directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Namit Sharma under the banner of Reliance Entertainment.[1] The series is set in Delhi[2] in the year 1962 and is based on writer Arnab Ray's book Sultan of Delhi: Ascension,[3] and stars an ensemble cast including Tahir Raj Bhasin, Mouni Roy, Anjum Sharma, Vinay Pathak, Anupriya Goenka, Nishant Dahiya, Mehreen Pirzada and Harleen Sethi.[4][5] It is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 13 October 2023.[6]
| Sultan of Delhi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Action thriller |
| Created by | Milan Luthria |
| Based on | Sultan of Delhi: Ascension by Arnab Ray |
| Written by | Karan Vyas (Dialogue) |
| Screenplay by | Suparn Verma |
| Story by | Suparn Verma |
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Composers | |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Gaurav Banerjee Avani Saxena |
| Producers | Namit Sharma Richard de Varda |
| Cinematography | Vishnu Rao |
| Editor | Rajesh G. Pandey |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 30- 45 minutes |
| Production companies | Reliance Entertainment Dreamers & Doers |
| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ Hotstar |
| Release | 13 October 2023 |
Plot
editThe story of Arjun Bhatia, a teenage immigrant from Lahore who works with Delhi's top illicit arms dealer Jagan Seth, is told in the 2023 TV mini-series Sultan of Delhi. The series is based on Arnab Ray's novel Sultan of Delhi: Ascension.[7] The story follows the ascension of a mobster in 1960s Delhi. Arjun is a 1947 Partition survivor who witnessed his family's slaughter. He makes it through the night with his father and arrives at Delhi.[7] The show opens with a gathering of a half-dozen elderly men who oversee the city's underbelly. Farooq Mastaan (Anil George) calls the conference to order and tells the gang leaders to work together. He designates Arjun as the foremost among equals, the guy who will henceforth make the decisions. [7] The series delves into a story of greed, treachery, bravery, and the ultimate struggle for dominance.[7]
Cast
edit- Tahir Raj Bhasin as Arjun Mohindar Bhatia
- Mouni Roy as Nayantara Gangopadhyay
- Mehreen Pirzada as Sanjana Ranawat
- Anjum Sharma as Nilendu Bangopodhya aka Bangaali
- Vinay Pathak as Jagan Lukman Seth
- Anupriya Goenka as Shankari Devi aka Chandini
- Nishant Dahiya as Rajender Pratap Singh aka RP, son of 'JP' Jewender Partap Singh
- Shadab Kamal as Vaikunth
- Harleen Sethi as Preeti Ganmukh patel
- Sunil Kumar as Ganmukh Madan Patel, Preeti's father
- Anil George as Farooq Mastaan, an underworld Don
- Gulshan Pandey as Mr. Tejwani
- Sunil Palwal as Bhope Sandhu, henchman of Seth Jagan
Episodes
edit| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Scar" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 2 | "Sweet Smell of Success" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 3 | "Kiss of Love" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 4 | "Bombay Confidential" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 5 | "Return of the Game" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 6 | "Nights in White Satin" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 7 | "The Crown" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 8 | "Fued" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
| 1 | 9 | "Till Death Do Us Part" | Milan Luthria Suparn Verma | Suparn Verma Karan Vyas | 13 October 2023 |
Production
editThe series was announced on Disney+ Hotstar by Reliance Entertainment, consisting of nine episodes.[8] It is based on Arnab Ray's Sultan of Delhi: Ascension (2016).[3] Initially, Neha Sharma was approached to play the female lead.[9] Later, Tahir Raj Bhasin and Mouni Roy were signed as the lead.[10] The launch event for the series was held on 22 September 2023.[11]
Music
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tra La La" | Kumaar | Anu Malik | Anmol Malik | 3:44 |
| 2. | "Saaqiya" | Milan Luthria | Sangeet-Siddharth | Javed Ali | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Tujh Pe Dil Haar Ke" | Kunaal Vermaa | Amaal Mallik | Armaan Malik, Shreya Ghoshal | 3:24 |
| 4. | "Sultan Of Delhi - Theme" | - | Daniel B.George | - | 2:38 |
| 5. | "Tujh Pe Dil Haar Ke - (Armaan Malik Version)" | Kunaal Vermaa | Amaal Mallik | Armaan Malik | 3:24 |
| 6. | "Tuje Pe Dil Haar Ke (Lofi Mix)" | Kunaal Vermaa | Amaal Mallik | Shreya Ghoshal | 3:20 |
| Total length: | 20:16 | ||||
Release
editThe series was released on 13 October 2023 on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar.[12]
Critical reception
editSaibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the series 1.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Pulp fiction paraded as a chronicle of a time of immense import, Sultan of Delhi is a rather desultory adaptation of a passable book that has an undeniable sense of history."[13]
Deepa Gahlot for Rediff.com stated "Characters pop in without explanation, like a mysterious white man, Daniel, who wears a pilot's uniform all the time (the costume budget must have run out with Shankari's outfits), and there are bizarre scenes, like Arjun stripping to impress a rival gangster." and rated the series 2.5 stars.[14]
Scroll.in stated "The show likes its racy moments – a distraction from the escalating tedium, perhaps?"[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Disney+ Hotstar announces series 'Sultan of Delhi' with Milan Luthria as director". Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Relive old India with Sultan of Delhi, new 60's based Disney+ Hotstar show". Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ a b "The anti-hero triumphs: Book review of Arnab Ray's Sultan of Delhi". 9 May 2017. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "'Sultan of Delhi' teaser: Milan Luthria's OTT debut reminds you of 60s charm". Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Sultan of Delhi trailer: Tahir Raj Bhasin and Mouni Roy's series is steeped in Milan Luthria colours". 22 September 2023. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Milan Luthria's directorial debut series Sultan of Delhi to stream on Disney+ Hotstar". Archived from the original on 26 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ a b c d khan, taker. "Sultans of Delhi plot". Filmyflex.in. Filmyflex. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Disney+ Hotstar, Reliance Entertainment Unveil Trailer for 1960s-Set Saga 'Sultan of Delhi' (EXCLUSIVE)". 22 September 2023. Archived from the original on 22 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Tahir Raj Bhasin, Mouni Roy, and Neha Sharma to star in Milan Luthria's show based on Arnab Ray's book Sultan of Delhi: Ascension : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. 26 November 2021. Archived from the original on 13 August 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Mouni Roy, Tahir Raj Bhasin star in Milan Luthria's 'Sultan of Delhi'". The Hindu. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Watch Breaking News Trailer Launch and Press Conference of Disney+ Hotstar Sultan of Delhi | ZEE5 Latest News". Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
- ^ "Mouni Roy, Tahir Raj Bhasin star in Milan Luthria's 'Sultan of Delhi'". The Hindu. ANI. 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (13 October 2023). "Sultan Of Delhi Review: Blood Soaked But Far From Full Blooded". NDTV. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Gahlot, Deepa (13 October 2023). "Sultan Of Delhi Review: Another Gangster Kahani". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ Ramnath, Nandini (13 October 2023). "'Sultan of Delhi' review: Cliches rule the roost". Scroll.in. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
