{ "id": "epng9sd4sh", "slug": "kafas", "title": "Kafas", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia", "label": "South and Southeast Asian serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "India · 2021 and later: South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021", "label": "India · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "label": "South Asian web serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Kafas (क़फ़स), also spelled Qafas, is a 2023 Hindi SonyLIV drama thriller, a six-episode adaptation of the British miniseries Dark Money, directed by Sahil Sangha, starring Sharman Joshi and Mona Singh as parents paid to stay silent about their son's abuse.", "snippet": "Kafas (क़फ़स), also spelled Qafas, is a 2023 Hindi SonyLIV drama thriller, a six-episode adaptation of the British miniseries Dark Money, directed by Sahil Sangha, starring Sharman Joshi and Mona Singh as parents paid to stay silent about their son's abuse.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.south_asian_web_serials", "markdown": "# Kafas\n\n**Kafas** (क़फ़स) is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language drama thriller web series directed by Sahil Sangha and streamed on SonyLIV, an official adaptation of the 2019 British miniseries *Dark Money*.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) • [2](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/dark-money-indian-adaptation-premieres-sonyliv) Its six episodes follow a middle-class Mumbai family whose teenage son lands a role in a Bollywood film, is sexually abused by the film's star, and whose parents are then offered money in exchange for their silence.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) • [3](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm) The title apparently means cage in Arabic, a metaphor the reviews read as the characters' internal struggles.[3](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original release | 23 June 2023 on SonyLIV; some listings give 22 June[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) • [4](https://thetvdb.com/series/kafas) |\n| Format | One season of 6 episodes, roughly 40 minutes each (39 to 41 minutes)[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) • [5](https://www.jiotv.com/tv-shows/kafas/aac3a4a6dbe15bf89026d135f7c1f78c) |\n| Source | Official adaptation of *Dark Money* (2019), produced for BBC One by The Forge; distributed by All3Media International[2](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/dark-money-indian-adaptation-premieres-sonyliv) |\n| Key crew | Director Sahil Sangha; writer Karan Sharma; creator Subhash Kapoor; music by Pranaay[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) |\n| Production | Applause Entertainment in association with Madiba Entertainment[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_apLfxfOE) |\n| Lead cast | Sharman Joshi (Raghav Vashisht), Mona Singh (Seema Vashisht), Mikhail Gandhi (Sunny), Vivan Bhatena (Vikram Bajaj)[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/kafas) |\n| Languages | Hindi original, dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, and Bengali[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292) |\n| Audience rating | 6.5/10 on IMDb from about 3,200 votes[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27618691/) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and plot\n\nThe series centers on the Vashisht family of Mumbai: father Raghav ([Sharman Joshi](https://www.edgepedia.org/sharman-joshi)), mother Seema ([Mona Singh](https://www.edgepedia.org/mona-singh)), daughter Shreya (Tejasvi Singh Ahlawat), and son Sunny (Mikhail Gandhi).[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/kafas/kafas-season-1/amp_seasonreview/101190998.cms) Sunny, a schoolboy, wins a once-in-a-lifetime break: a role in *Superdad*, a big-budget Hindi film starring the reigning actor Vikram Bajaj (Vivan Bhatena).[10](https://lehren.com/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh/) During the outdoor shoot he is molested by his co-star, and he returns home upset and unenthusiastic about the opportunity that had thrilled the family.[3](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm) • [10](https://lehren.com/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh/)\n\n**The price of silence.** Sunny confides in his parents and has a cellphone video to back his claim.[11](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/kafas-web-review-the-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-starrer-fails-to-explore-the-sensitive-theme-of-child-abuse) When the family pursues the matter, the star's legal team offers compensation and a non-disclosure agreement that would bar the family from discussing the incident publicly.[11](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/kafas-web-review-the-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-starrer-fails-to-explore-the-sensitive-theme-of-child-abuse) Facing their cash-strapped circumstances, the parents accept the settlement, and the series follows the guilt and family strain that follow, ending with the family deciding to fight back at a heavy price.[3](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm) • [12](https://tv.apple.com/in/show/kafas/umc.cmc.6vlvq4wkcj8y8oifufhjsdy20) The episode titles trace this arc, from \"Welcome Home Superstar\" through \"The Offer\" to the finale \"Next Steps\".[12](https://tv.apple.com/in/show/kafas/umc.cmc.6vlvq4wkcj8y8oifufhjsdy20)\n\n### Cast and characters\n\nSharman Joshi plays Raghav Vashisht, the grounded father who resists the family's star-struck excitement, and Mona Singh plays Seema Vashisht, the mother.[10](https://lehren.com/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh/) The two actors had previously appeared together in the 2009 film *3 Idiots*.[13](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/sonyliv-announces-premiere-date-for-sharman-joshi-mona-singhs-kafas-8677990/) The supporting cast includes Mikhail Gandhi as Sunny, Tejasvi Singh Ahlawat as Shreya, Vivan Bhatena as Vikram Bajaj, Preeti Jhangiani as Tanya Bajaj, Zarina Wahab as Neelima, Mona Wasu as Meghna, Raghav's ex-wife, and [Mukesh Chhabra](https://www.edgepedia.org/mukesh-chhabra) as Irfan Akhtar.[7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/kafas)\n\n## Production and adaptation\n\nKafas was produced by Applause Entertainment in association with Madiba Entertainment, with Sameer Nair, Sahil Sangha, and Deepak Segal as producers.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_apLfxfOE) • [14](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/web-series/kafas) It is a scripted format adaptation licensed by All3Media International's Singapore-based Asia office of *Dark Money*, the 2019 [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) miniseries produced by The Forge.[2](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/dark-money-indian-adaptation-premieres-sonyliv) Director Sahil Sangha said Applause brought him the format and that adapting it required getting the Indian cultural milieu right for a subject that, in his words, is rarely discussed in the context of young boys.[15](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/entertainment/filmmaker-sahil-sangha-on-web-series-kafas)\n\nThe series was released with an unusual promotional strategy: no trailers or teasers, only dramatic posters indicating that the couple had been paid to stay silent.[16](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-vivan-bhatena-dark-money-remake-2396841-2023-06-23) SonyLIV carries the show in seven languages, and it is also available on VI movies and tv and free with ads on Sony Liv.[17](https://www.sonyliv.com/shows/kafas-1700001240) • [7](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/kafas)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritical response was mixed. The Times of India gave the season 3 out of 5, crediting Sharman Joshi and Mona Singh's sincere performances while finding the execution at times sluggish.[9](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/kafas/kafas-season-1/amp_seasonreview/101190998.cms) India Today rated it 2 out of 5, judging that the series became too dramatic to handle the sexual abuse of a child with sensitivity.[16](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-vivan-bhatena-dark-money-remake-2396841-2023-06-23) Rediff's review called it a missed opportunity, praising the makers for taking up a rarely addressed theme while faulting the writing and direction for reducing the abuse to a plot device.[3](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm) On IMDb the series holds 6.5/10 from about 3,200 users.[8](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27618691/)\n\nThe format found recognition abroad. Kafas, Dark Money India won the best TV adaptation (Scripted) Asia award at the Content Asia Awards and was shortlisted as a finalist in the best scripted format category of the International Format Awards 2024, alongside entries such as [NCIS: Sydney](https://www.edgepedia.org/ncis-sydney) and Suits Mongolia.[18](https://indiantelevision.com/news-headline/applause-sonyliv-show-among-finalists-of-the-international-format-awards-240926/)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Kafas Web Series (2023), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kafas-web-series-118292)\n2. [\"Dark Money\" Indian adaptation premieres on SonyLiv, ContentAsia](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/dark-money-indian-adaptation-premieres-sonyliv)\n3. [Kafas Review: What A Missed Opportunity!, Rediff.com](https://www.rediff.com/movies/review/kafas-review-what-a-missed-opportunity/20230623.htm)\n4. [कफस, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/kafas)\n5. [Kafas, JioTV](https://www.jiotv.com/tv-shows/kafas/aac3a4a6dbe15bf89026d135f7c1f78c)\n6. [Kafas | Official Trailer, Sony LIV on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZ_apLfxfOE)\n7. [Kafas, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/kafas)\n8. [Kafas (TV Series 2023), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27618691/)\n9. [Kafas Season 1 Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/kafas/kafas-season-1/amp_seasonreview/101190998.cms)\n10. [Review | Kafas – The Price Of Silence, Lehren](https://lehren.com/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh/)\n11. [Kafas Web Review, Free Press Journal](https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/kafas-web-review-the-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-starrer-fails-to-explore-the-sensitive-theme-of-child-abuse)\n12. [Kafas, Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/in/show/kafas/umc.cmc.6vlvq4wkcj8y8oifufhjsdy20)\n13. [SonyLIV announces premiere date for Kafas, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/sonyliv-announces-premiere-date-for-sharman-joshi-mona-singhs-kafas-8677990/)\n14. [Kafas, Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/web-series/kafas)\n15. [Filmmaker Sahil Sangha on web-series 'Kafas', Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/entertainment/filmmaker-sahil-sangha-on-web-series-kafas)\n16. ['Kafas' review, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kafas-review-sharman-joshi-mona-singh-vivan-bhatena-dark-money-remake-2396841-2023-06-23)\n17. [Kafas, Sony LIV](https://www.sonyliv.com/shows/kafas-1700001240)\n18. [Applause & SonyLiv show among finalists of The International Format Awards, Indian Television Dot Com](https://indiantelevision.com/news-headline/applause-sonyliv-show-among-finalists-of-the-international-format-awards-240926/)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › South Asian web serials*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Kafas\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Kafas](https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas](https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Kafas\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/kafas. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Kafas, also spelled Qafas, is a 2023 Hindi SonyLIV drama thriller, a six-episode adaptation of the British miniseries Dark Money, directed by Sahil Sangha, starring Sharman Joshi and Mona Singh as parents paid to stay silent about their son's abuse." }