When Vijay Varma says he found the script of Kaalkoot “unputdownable,” it carries weight. After all, here is an actor who seems to be attracting powerful stories—be it Darlings (2022) or Dahaad. But he had another reason to gravitate towards director Sumit Saxena’s crime drama. It has him portray a positive character after a spate of negative roles. “Playing an idealistic, wide-eyed police officer like Ravi Shankar [his character in Kaalkoot] was a refreshing homecoming. In 2013, I started my journey as an actor by playing a police officer in Monsoon Shootout, and now after 10 years, I’m playing a similar role again,” he says.

The JioCinema series, also starring Shweta Tripathi Sharma, revolves around Varma’s cop who initially seems unfit for the job, but throws himself into it when a case hits too close to home. “He steadily understands himself through his work. I have been part of some good dramas, but Kaalkoot was unputdownable. It starts with an acid attack case, and then, over eight episodes, delves into how other characters are involved in such attacks.”