Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar’s Dahaad is a murder mystery that revolves around a group of Rajasthani police officers and a nefarious serial killer. The show first premiered on Prime Video on 12th May 2023. As we’ll discuss Dahaad’s ending, this is your spoiler warning.
Said to revolve around a real-life serial killer named “Cyanide Mohan,” Dahaad takes us through an intense search for the mastermind killer responsible for the death of 30+ women who were innocently hoping to find a good partner. As the series goes on, we see how cleverly this one-of-a-kind serial killer makes sure that the suspicion is never on him, yet continues to create new victims of his morbid fantasies.
Dahaad stars Sonakshi Sinha as SI Anjali, Gulshan Devaiah in the role of Inspector Devi Lal, Sohum Shah as SI Kailash and Vijay Verma as Anand Swarnakar. The entire show takes place in a small village in Rajasthan, with a few scenes being shot in Goa.
Dahaad: The Plot of The Film
The film begins with Anjali, a sub-inspector, coming across a murder case framed to look like suicide. Soon enough, similar cases start popping up from various parts of the village, with each victim being a woman who was poisoned to death using cyanide.
Aside from the crime cases, we also see the personal side of the inspectors’ lives, with Anjali being pressured into marriage as she was well in her thirties. Kailash, another SI, hears that his wife’s pregnant, but instead of being happy, he is paranoid about bringing a child into this morally corrupt world.
Devi Lal Sing, the SHO, is going through problems of his own as his wife starts suspecting him of cheating on her with Anjali, which is untrue.
After analyzing the call records of the victims and looking further than religious accusations, Anjali figures out that all of these women were killed by the same person. Her guess is further solidified after her professor comes up with the same conclusion. He also lets her know that serial killers like these usually keep an object from each murder scene with them.
Meanwhile, Anand’s son steals one of his father’s mobiles and uses it, immediately alerting the police. This is where the police start suspecting Anand. Anjali is convinced that Anand is the killer but lacks evidence, so she tries to search his van but fails.
Anand’s wife cheats on him, and when she confesses about the affair, Anand ends up killing the man using a faulty hairdryer. Eventually, it becomes obvious that Anand is indeed a serial killer, as he tries to frame his brother Shiv and escapes with a huge amount of money he had collected from his victims.
Dahaad: Ending Explained
As we approach the end of Dahaad, we see that Anand now knows that he can do nothing to prevent himself from being caught. His plan to tell Shiv about his father being a murderer backfires as Shiv is more distraught by Anand’s actions. He moves to a different state with his next victim, Miriam. Pretending to be Richard, he convinces Miriam to marry him in Panjim, Goa.
Anjali and the others find a lead when Miriam uses Richard’s credit card, and they soon arrive at their house in Panjim. Anand gets back to his old ways and traps yet another victim, this time a nurse named Renuka.
The police informed Miriam that she had been married to a serial killer who had 30+ victims. They also notify the nearby hotels of Anand’s identity, and one of the hotels gets back to them with Anand’s location.
Anjali, Devi Lal, and Kailash can finally catch Anand red-handed and take him to jail, where he’ll hopefully be imprisoned for the rest of his life. Anjali asks him the reason behind his murdering innocent women, to which he replies that the women weren’t innocent as they wouldn’t have talked to him in the first place.
These ending scenes are crucial for providing a satisfying closure for both the audience and Anjali. Anand moves to another state to live with a new identity, but old habits die hard, especially for serial killers.
People like him have this psychological need to kill, and that’s why Anand gets back to his ways once he sees another victim. He doesn’t kill Miriam because she becomes his representation of stability. Having someone like her would help him pretend to live a normal life while being an unhinged killer on the side.
We are made aware early on that Anand is the killer because the real thrill is in the chase. The storyline also deals with the consequences of the caste system, as Anjali belongs to Meghwals, one of the least valued castes from Rajasthan.
Her family name is changed to Bhaati, but she still receives derogatory looks and comments from almost everyone, even a psychopath like Anand. This caste system also indirectly protected Anand, as he belonged to an upper caste, and no one would doubt someone like him.
However, after solving the case, Anjali is confident in herself and knows that true power is not from caste or religion but is instead sourced from one’s own heart and mind. She changes her name back to Meghwal, showing that she won’t let something like caste affect her dedication to public service.
Dahaad was able to perfectly execute its vision of a classic cop thriller with a skilled cast and intriguing storyline. If you’re looking for a murder mystery series that’s more about the suspenseful chase than the killer’s identity, Dahaad is a must-watch.
Dahaad is available to stream on Prime Video and Apple TV.
Also Read: Vaalvi Movie Ending Explained: The Most Comical End To A Dark Film
