Guns & Gulaabs, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Rajkummar Rao, available today on Netflix

Guns & Gulaabs, the new retro-style crime drama from Raj & DK, releases today on Netflix. A true ode to mid-90s Bollywood, the dark comedy series blends romance and pulp comedy into a fine paste, where a key turning into an instrument of death sets off a chain reaction of wild events in the unpredictable town of Gulaabganj. Marking the duo’s first Netflix project, it’s worth mentioning that Guns & Gulaab spent a considerable amount of time in production – having released a teaser in September, only to remain silent until earlier this month. Presumably the creators were busy with Amazon Prime Video’s Farzi, but this show was also not mentioned in Netflix’s 2023 release list, sowing doubt among fans.

“This time we returned to our favorite territory… adopting the storytelling style of our previous films (99, Shor In The City). And somewhere along the way, we found ourselves creating a genre mash-up in a retro, pulpy style,” said Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK in a prepared statement. The duo describes Guns & Gulaabs as an “offbeat story,” filled to the brim with music and nostalgic references, driven by its ensemble of misfits trying to make a name for themselves in a cartel-ruled, riot-ridden city. gangs. First, we have Rajkummar Rao (Monica, O My Darling) as Paana Tipu, a lovestruck mechanic, who finds himself thrust into a life of crime when he lets his inner demon out – killing intruders by shoving a key down his throat.

The series reunites Rao with his The White Tiger co-star Adarsh ​​Gourav, who plays Chhota Ganchi, the reluctant heir to a drug empire, determined to make his father proud. And since no cop drama is complete without a cop, we have Dulquer Salmaan (Sita Ramam) as officer Arjun Varma. Tired of his mundane lifestyle, the honest cop turns to a life of chaos, looking to make a quick buck or, better yet, get a promotion. The easiest way to do this is to overthrow the drug lord, and so he teams up with Chhota Ganchi to earn a five percent bonus on an unorganized heist the latter planned. Amidst all this, an overly bumbling gangster named “4 Cut Aatmaram” (Gulshan Devaiah) is on the loose in the city, known for killing – or rather cleansing – souls, with just four flicks of a switchblade.

Imitating old Bollywood’s motorcycle chase sequences and over-the-top action, Guns & Gulaabs also unveils a story of revenge, heartbreak and a taste of sweet innocence through the eyes of three classmates. The series also stars the late Satish Kaushik (Mr. India) as drug lord Ganchi’s father, frequent Raj & DK collaborator Ashmith Kunder (The Family Man), and Pooja Gor (The Verdict – State vs Nanavati).

Guns & Gulaabs was released today on Netflix.