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Search The Naina Murder Case Review: JioHotstar’s new Hindi series Search: The Naina Murder Case is yet another adaptation of a foreign show - something the platform seems oddly obsessed with. This time, the dice falls on the acclaimed Danish series The Killing (Forbrydelsen). For its first season, the adaptation is directed by Rohan Sippy and led by Konkona Sensharma, who brings her signature gravitas to this murder mystery. ‘The Trial’ Season 2 Review: Kajol’s Courtroom Drama Series Suffers From a Case of Diminishing Returns.
'Search: The Naina Murder' Case Review - The Plot
The National Award-winning actress plays ACP Sanyukta Das, a highly efficient officer, who’s all set to take a break from service to join her husband in Ahmedabad when she’s handed one last case to lead "just for a day." Naturally, that day extends indefinitely after the case turns out to be the mysterious murder of a young college student, Naina (Chandsi Kataria). Assisting Sanyukta is her department’s new recruit, ACP Jai Kanwal (Surya Sharma), who isn’t thrilled about playing second fiddle.
Watch the Trailer of 'Search: The Naina Murder':
The suspects include Naina’s best friend Lavanya (Atiya Nayak), her ex-boyfriend Ojas (Kabir Kachroo), his pervy bestie Aarav (Anmol Rawat), her lecturer Randhir (Varun Thakur), and Tushar Surve (Shiv Panditt), a rising politician with a spotless public image who also happens to be a trustee of Naina’s college. While Sanyukta battles domestic turbulence back home, she also clashes with her new colleague’s brash, impulsive style - her calm experience often at odds with his hot-headedness.
'Search: The Naina Murder' Case Review - An Ordinary Adaptation
First things first, most of us - myself included - probably haven’t seen the original Danish series, which actually works in favour of Search: The Naina Murder Case. A quick bit of trivia: the first season of The Killing ran for 20 episodes, while this adaptation squeezes it into just six. I was genuinely curious to see how Rohan Sippy and writers Radhika Anand and Shreya Karunakaran would pull that off. That should have been the first clue as to how I would have found the show overall.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, the murder mystery itself - complete with multiple suspects and red herrings - remains intriguing enough to keep you hooked. The issue is the writing, which lacks layering or nuance. Scenes often feel functional rather than atmospheric, whether it’s the bickering between officers or the side plot involving Tushar’s efforts to keep the scandal from splattering mud on his 'clean' image. (The show insists on that squeaky-clean façade, but come on - politics hai, kheechad toh hoga kahin ka kahin.) Still, the curiosity of what really happened to Naina and who killed her drives the series through its six episodes.
It certainly helps that Konkona Sensharma headlines the show. She can breathe life into even the flattest material, though this one doesn’t exactly return the favour. Surya Sharma, whom I have mostly seen in negative roles, gives her good support - it’s refreshing to see him play a relatively positive role. Shiv Panditt is fine as the politician, though the role never stretches him much.
'Search: The Naina Murder' Case Review - Uninspiring Writing and Direction
The real surprise, though, is how uninspired Rohan Sippy’s direction feels. This is the same man who brought slick flair to Bluffmaster! and Dum Maaro Dum, but here, it’s as if he’s on snooze mode - or has delegated the actual directing to a hyperactive assistant while his name remains on the credits. The visual and stylistic energy we associate with him is completely missing.
The writing, too, leans heavily on dated tropes you’d expect from a procedural led by a female detective, without doing anything fresh with them. The dynamic between Sanyukta and Jai initially sparks interest, but once she lets her guard down to find a professional compromise with him by sharing her insecurities, the storytelling itself feels compromised in how that moment comes by. Jai’s impulsive behaviour - like harassing a teenage suspect with political connections - comes off more idiotic than idealistic. It was surprising that he was suspended from job based on some of his questionable actions.
Sanyukta’s domestic subplot is the weakest link. Her husband (Mukul Chadda) and teenage daughter (Pari Tonk) are grating, and it’s frustrating to watch a supposedly strong woman constantly suppress herself "for love." These scenes drag down the pacing and add little emotional weight. The show even attempts to address some of the Gen Z vs Millennial gap issues, talks about body positivity and rape culture through Sanyukta's family problems, but they sound ridiculously flat here. Ghar Waapsi Review: Vishal Vashishtha's Disney+ Hotstar Series is One of 2022's Most Endearing Offerings!
Even the grieving parents (Iravati Harshe and Sagar Deshmukh) don’t bring the emotional punch the story needs. The father oscillates between detachment and rage, while the mother spends most of her screen time on rant mode, when she is not reminded how little she knew her daughter.
'Search: The Naina Murder' Case Review - A Hair-Tearing Finale
But the most frustrating aspect of Search: The Naina Murder Case is its finale. Just when you’re ready to forgive its flaws and look forward to the big reveal, the show pulls a classic Hindi web-series move - replacing closure with a cliffhanger. Consider this your spoiler-free warning: there’s nothing wrong with ending a season on a cliffhanger if you’ve earned it with a satisfying resolution first. But here, the final episode simply cuts off before the mystery pays off. After six episodes, you’re left realising you’ve essentially watched half a story. Even the track involving Tushar figuring out who is the spy in his team - his close political aide/secret girlfriend Raksha (Shraddha Das) or his digital campaign manager Sahil (Dhruv Sehgal) - is left frustratingly open-ended.
That’s not how you end a murder mystery. That’s how you test a viewer’s patience. Now I finally understand how a 20-episode season became six - it’s because the story isn’t done yet. And who knows when the actual ending will arrive.
'Search: The Naina Murder' Case Review - Final Thoughts
Search: The Naina Murder Case has an interesting murder-mystery premise and a stellar actress to lead it, but it’s hamstrung by choppy storytelling, underwhelming direction, and a cliffhanger finale that turns intrigue into irritation and frustration. If you are dropping half a show as your first season, at least give your unassuming viewers a fair warning. Search: The Naina Murder Case is streaming on JioHotstar.
(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 10, 2025 09:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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