# Bhagwat: Chapter One – Raakshas
**Bhagwat: Chapter One – Raakshas** (भागवत चैप्टर वन: राक्षस) is a 2025 Hindi-language crime thriller film directed by Akshay Shere and released directly on the streaming platform ZEE5 on 17 October 2025.[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) It stars [Arshad Warsi](https://www.edgepedia.org/arshad-warsi) as Inspector Vishwas Bhagwat, a police officer transferred to the town of Robertsganj in [Uttar Pradesh](https://www.edgepedia.org/uttar-pradesh), and [Jitendra Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/jitendra-kumar) as Sameer, a man with a hidden sinister side; Ayesha Kaduskar plays Meera.[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) The story follows Bhagwat's investigation into the disappearance of a young woman named Poonam, which uncovers a pattern of similar disappearances linked to a prostitution ring.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) • [3](https://www.ottplay.com/news/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-out-on-ott-where-to-watch-plot-explained-and-more-about-jitendra-kumar-and-arshad-warsis-crime-thriller/11a2e62cb6286)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Title | Bhagwat Chapter One - Raakshas (भागवत चैप्टर वन: राक्षस)[4](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/movies/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-892078.html) |
| Release | Direct OTT release on ZEE5, 17 October 2025; no theatrical collection[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) • [5](https://hindigeet.in/film/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-2025/) |
| Director | Akshay Shere[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) |
| Lead cast | Arshad Warsi (Vishwas Bhagwat), Jitendra Kumar (Sameer), Ayesha Kaduskar (Meera)[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) |
| Runtime | 2h 7m per ZEE5; 2h 8min per JustWatch[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) • [2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) |
| Genre | Crime, thriller, action[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) |
| Age rating | UA 16+[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) |
| Production | Jio Studios, Baweja Studios, Dog "n" Bone Pictures[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8pv9CHwsE4) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and setting
Inspector Vishwas Bhagwat arrives on transfer in Robertsganj, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, and takes up the case of a missing girl.[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) The official synopsis describes a seemingly simple case of a missing girl, Poonam, that puts the inspector on the trail of the culprit behind a series of disappearing girls.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas) During the investigation he uncovers a pattern of similar cases linked to a prostitution ring.[3](https://www.ottplay.com/news/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-out-on-ott-where-to-watch-plot-explained-and-more-about-jitendra-kumar-and-arshad-warsis-crime-thriller/11a2e62cb6286)
The film is set around the Diwali of 2009, when the disappearance of a girl named Poonam Mishra becomes a political event, with riots breaking out and rumors circulating that the girl eloped with someone called "Abdul"; politicians amplify the chaos by giving the incident a communal color.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller) • [8](https://www.ottplay.com/features/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar-is-an-effective-police-procedural/4feee69194557) Bhagwat is posted to Robertsganj as a punishment posting.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller) Meanwhile, Sameer is in love with Meera and plans to elope, and the film turns on how the two storylines intersect.[1](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123) The film's title refers to the "raakshas" (demons) hidden within society, and it explores themes of ethics, justice, and human psychology.[3](https://www.ottplay.com/news/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-out-on-ott-where-to-watch-plot-explained-and-more-about-jitendra-kumar-and-arshad-warsis-crime-thriller/11a2e62cb6286)
## Production and certification
The film is a ZEE5 original produced by Jio Studios, Baweja Studios, and Dog "n" Bone Pictures, with Jyoti Deshpande, Pammi Baweja, Harman Baweja, Kanishk Gangwal, and Akshay Shere credited as producers.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8pv9CHwsE4) The Central Board of Film Certified a Hindi feature titled "Bhagwat Chapter One Raakshas" with a UA certificate on 15 May 2024 under certificate number DIL/2/206/2024-MUM, with Harman Baweja of Baweja Studios Limited named as producer and a listed length of 134.19 minutes.[9](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/assets/pdf/List_of_feature_films_certified_2024.pdf) A separate CBFC record certifies the song "Kaccha Aam" from the film as UA 13+ on 25 September 2025.[10](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwMTE3MDkyMDI1MDAyNTU%3D) The streaming release carries a UA 16+ rating.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
The teaser was released on 29 September 2025 and the trailer on 3 October 2025, ahead of the 17 October premiere.[11](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-trailer-out-ott-release-date-cast-plot-hints-what-to-watch-for/) Music is credited to Vivek Hariharan, Mangesh Dhakde, and Raghav & Arjun, with the label Zee Music Company.[5](https://hindigeet.in/film/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-2025/)
## Cast
- **Arshad Warsi** as Vishwas Bhagwat, the inspector[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
- **Jitendra Kumar** as Sameer[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
- **Ayesha Kaduskar** as Meera[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
- **Tara Alisha Berry** as Sumitra[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
- **Coral Bhamra** as Kavita, **Devas Dixit** as Mahto, **Rashmi Rajput** as Janhavi, **Sandeep Yadav** as Mishra, **Akash Pandey** as Netaji, and **Abhishek Singh** as Gaffar[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
## Reception
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews, with the performances generally praised.[3](https://www.ottplay.com/news/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-out-on-ott-where-to-watch-plot-explained-and-more-about-jitendra-kumar-and-arshad-warsis-crime-thriller/11a2e62cb6286) On IMDb it holds a score of 6.8 from about 10,000 votes, and [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) users gave it 77%.[2](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
Reviewers highlighted the two leads. A Moneycontrol review by Abhishek Srivastava rated it 3/5, describing Warsi's performance as mature and measured and calling Jitendra Kumar the film's revelation for his transformation from a love-struck young man to a remorseless killer, while criticizing uneven pacing.[12](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/ott/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-review-arshad-warsi-s-quiet-intensity-fuels-a-restrained-true-crime-tale-article-13620549.html) The Hollywood Reporter India's review by Rahul Desai called it an overfamiliar but potent crime thriller that stays "sociopolitically alive to the India we live in today".[7](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller) An OTTplay review rated it 2/5, finding the plot a rerun of familiar tropes despite Kumar's "quiet menace".[13](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-review-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar/4590574a2e897) A separate OTTplay feature judged it an effective police procedural that sidesteps histrionics.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/features/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar-is-an-effective-police-procedural/4feee69194557) Aggregated coverage lists India Today at 2.5/5 and Free Press Journal at 3/5.[14](https://technosports.co.in/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-review/?amp=1)
## Relation to Dahaad
The film shares its real-world source material with *Dahaad* (2023), an eight-episode series about a cop drawn into a case of multiple missing girls and a potential serial killer; where that series was set in rural [Rajasthan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rajasthan), *Bhagwat* transposes the story to small-town Uttar Pradesh.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller) Several reviews make the comparison directly, with one calling the film a familiar demon "standing in Dahaad's shadow".[13](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-review-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar/4590574a2e897) The "Chapter One" in the title signals an intended franchise in which the officer solves one case per film, a structure the Hollywood Reporter India likens to the *Delhi Crime* template.[7](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller)
## References
1. [Bhagwat Chapter One - Raakshas, ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/movies/details/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas/0-0-1z5831123)
2. [Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/movie/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas)
3. [Bhagwat Chapter 1 - Raakshas out on OTT, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-out-on-ott-where-to-watch-plot-explained-and-more-about-jitendra-kumar-and-arshad-warsis-crime-thriller/11a2e62cb6286)
4. [Bhagwat Chapter One - Raakshas Movie (2025), Digit Binge](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/movies/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-892078.html)
5. [Bhagwat: Chapter One – Raakshas, HindiGeet](https://hindigeet.in/film/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-2025/)
6. [Bhagwat Chapter 1: Raakshas – Official Teaser, Jio Studios on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8pv9CHwsE4)
7. ['Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas' Movie Review, The Hollywood Reporter India](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-movie-review-arshad-warsi-anchors-an-overfamiliar-but-potent-crime-thriller)
8. [Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas Is An Effective Police Procedural, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/features/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar-is-an-effective-police-procedural/4feee69194557)
9. [List of feature films certified 2024, CBFC](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/assets/pdf/List_of_feature_films_certified_2024.pdf)
10. [CBFC film search: Bhagwat Chapter One Raakshas – Song Kaccha Aam](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwMTE3MDkyMDI1MDAyNTU%3D)
11. [Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas – Trailer Out, ZEE5 Blog](https://www.zee5.com/global/blog/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-trailer-out-ott-release-date-cast-plot-hints-what-to-watch-for/)
12. [Bhagwat Chapter One: Raakshas Review, Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/entertainment/ott/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-review-arshad-warsi-s-quiet-intensity-fuels-a-restrained-true-crime-tale-article-13620549.html)
13. [Bhagwat Chapter 1: Raakshas review, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/bhagwat-chapter-1-raakshas-review-arshad-warsi-jitendra-kumar/4590574a2e897)
14. [Bhagwat Chapter One Raakshas Review, TechnoSports](https://technosports.co.in/bhagwat-chapter-one-raakshas-review/?amp=1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2020s › Hindi films of 2025*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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