Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar (2012) valourised the athlete who became an outlaw to resist oppression. In Ghamasaan, Dhulia is fighting on the side of the law.Although the title of Dhulia’s latest feature indicates an intense battle, Dhulia’s screenplay is in no rush. Carefully, clinically and dexterously, Dhulia follows a special task force’s mission to nab the dreaded dacoit Maharaj (Arshad Warsi).The Hindi film is set in 2006 in Uttar Pradesh. The story, by Piiyush Singh and Ram Yash Singh, fictionalises an actual brigand and political heavyweights from the state.Maharaj is more Gabbar Singh than Robin Hood, extorting, pillaging and massacring across villages in the Bundelkhand region. Maharaj’s connections run high and deep, something task force chief Aditya (Pratik Gandhi) needs to navigate before he can get anywhere near his target.Aditya and his posse are deployed against Maharaj after a particularly gruesome act that threatens to disrupt an upcoming election. The cool-headed and methodical Aditya puts into place a counter-intelligence network that includes disgruntled villager Balram (Anurag Thakur) and the entertainer Kalika (Rajpal Yadav).Aditya’s perseverance, coupled with a few lucky breaks, takes him closer to his mark. Aditya’s wife Aparna (Ishita Dutta) pops up from time to time as a reminder of the sacrifices he is making.Arshad Warsi in Ghamasaan (2026). Courtesy Golden Ratio Films/Yaelstar Films/Jio Studios/Zee5.Ghamasaan was completed in 2024 and is finally out on Zee5. While streaming robs the Western-styled film of its intended scope, and doesn’t do justice to cinematographer Dev Agrawal’s handsome compositions, the impact of Dhulia’s detailing is intact.To a simple and morally unambiguous story, which has references to both the mythical Ramayana and real events, Dhulia brings a finely tuned understanding of heartland politics. Ghamasaan is savvy about the cynical ways in which politicians manipulate criminals like Maharaj – who uses them in turn to save his skin.The overall tone matches Aditya’s personality. Do your job like a job and don’t make a big deal of it – advice given by Aditya to a fellow officer holds for Ghamasaan too, making it one of Dhulia’s most cogent and engrossing films.The movie is fleet and fluid despite clocking 143 minutes. Except for insistent songs that are plastered over scenes, Ghamsaaan neither tom-toms the valour of Aditya and the other officers nor underplays Maharaj’s villainy.Stripping Maharaj of bandit mythology makes him both a textbook antagonist and a terrifying adversary. Arshad Warsi is excellent as the dhol-playing, corpulent Maharaj who treats turncoats horribly and doesn’t think twice before slaughtering people from his caste if he needs to.Pratik Gandhi is terrific too as the laser-focused cop whose arsenal includes empathy for Maharaj’s victims. Both actors bring out the contrast between unvarnished brutality and temperate heroics.The supporting cast has noteworthy characters played by Deepraj Rana, Kumar Kanchan Ghosh, Puneet Singh and Jatin Goswamiy. Rajpal Yadav supplies comedy and pathos as Kalika, who gives Aditya the breakthrough he needs.Two of Dhulia’s choices pay off superbly. One is the finale in the forest, which conclusively denies Maharaj legendary status. The other is the epilogue, which belongs to Kalika and his contributions to the epic fight between good and evil. After all the ghamasaan jousting, the film ends on a note of surprising sweetness.