# Kankhajura (कनखजूरा)
**Kankhajura** (कनखजूरा) is a 2025 Hindi-language crime drama thriller web series directed by Chandan Arora for the Indian streaming platform SonyLIV, adapted from the Israeli series *Magpie*. It stars [Roshan Mathew](https://www.edgepedia.org/roshan-mathew) as Ashu, a man released from prison after serving a murder sentence, and [Mohit Raina](https://www.edgepedia.org/mohit-raina) as his older brother Max, a real estate developer whose life Ashu's return disrupts.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) • [2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | कनखजूरा, the Hindi word for "centipede"[3](https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/web-series/kankhajura-web-series-on-sonyliv-release-date-cast-and-all-you-need-to-know-article-151729238) |
| Format | 8-episode season, average runtime about 35 minutes[4](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura) |
| Platform and language | SonyLIV, Hindi, certificate U/A 16+[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) |
| Source material | Official adaptation of the Israeli crime thriller *Magpie*, created by Adam Bizanski, Omri Shenhar, and Dana Eden[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) |
| Lead cast | Roshan Mathew (Ashu), Mohit Raina (Max), Sarah Jane Dias (Nisha), Trinetra Haldar (Aimee)[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) |
| Directors | Chandan Arora, with Parikshhit Jha also credited[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) |
| Reception | IMDb 7.1/10 from 856 votes; Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 60% from 5 reviews[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30820007) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
Ashu (Roshan Mathew) is released early from prison, where he has served a sentence for murder, on the condition that he continues working as a police informant, a role known as a "magpie" that he also held while incarcerated.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) • [4](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura) Most accounts state he served 14 years,[2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake) though one synopsis gives 17 years.[7](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/shows/kankhajura-883631.html) He returns to Goa to reconnect with his older brother Max (Mohit Raina), a wealthy real estate tycoon married to Nisha (Sarah Jane Dias), who is preparing the biggest construction contract of his career.[8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/) Max keeps Ashu at a distance, and Ashu, whose meek, stuttering manner conceals a manipulative mind, works his way back into his brother's life while his dark past resurfaces and threatens Max's business and safety.[2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake) • [5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura)
The title replaces the Israeli original's metaphor with a Hindi one. In *Magpie*, the title referred to the Western slang for a police informer; in the adaptation, the centipede stands for a creature that seems weak and easily crushed but, once it gets inside, is hard to dislodge, matching a protagonist who appears insignificant yet is dangerous.[3](https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/web-series/kankhajura-web-series-on-sonyliv-release-date-cast-and-all-you-need-to-know-article-151729238) • [9](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/kankhajura-review-a-roshan-mathew-masterclass-in-acting-makes-this-magpie-remake-better-than-original-mohit-raina-101748577304201.html)
### Cast and characters
- **Roshan Mathew** as Ashu, a stuttering ex-convict working as a police informant whose apparent innocence hides a calculating, at times violent, temperament[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) • [8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/)
- **Mohit Raina** as Max, Ashu's older brother, a real estate developer torn between guilt and self-preservation[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) • [11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30)
- **Sarah Jane Dias** as Nisha, Max's wife[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura)
- **Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju** as Aimee (also written Amy), a transgender character connected to Ashu's past[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) • [8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/)
- **Heeba Shah** as DSP Leena Naik, the police officer who exploits Ashu's manipulative skills[15](https://isitback.com/show/kankhajura) • [8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/)
- **Ninad Kamat** as Pedro (Pedru) and **Mahesh Shetty** as Shardul, Max's childhood friends and business partners[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) • [2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake)
- **Usha Nadkarni** as Deshmukh Bai, the slumlord of the colony standing in the way of Max's project[10](https://fmdb.mov/en/series/292392) • [16](https://m.rediff.com/movies/review/kankhajura-review-tepid-thriller/20250530.htm)
Vyom Vyas plays the young Ashu in flashback scenes.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30820007)
## Production and release
The series was produced by [Ajay Rai](https://www.edgepedia.org/ajay-rai) under Jar Pictures, with Yes Studios among the production companies, and written by Chandan Arora with Upendra Sidhaye and [Sandeep Jain](https://www.edgepedia.org/sandeep-jain) on the adaptation.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) • [10](https://fmdb.mov/en/series/292392) It was filmed and set in Goa, which reviewers treated as integral to the story rather than a backdrop.[8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/) • [11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30)
The release date is reported differently across sources: May 26, 2025 (Times of India), May 28 (Simkl), May 29 (TheTVDB and episode listings), and May 30 at midnight (India Today, Gadgets 360, Digit, and Zoom TV).[12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/web-series-details/hindi/kankhajura/webseriesshow/121420355.cms) • [13](https://simkl.com/tv/2793263/kankhajura) • [4](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura) • [11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30) The eight episodes carry Marathi-flavored titles including "Dhakta Bhaav," "Shastri Colony," "Totriya," "Kala Kuan," and the finale "Motha Bhaav."[14](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura/allseasons/official)
## Themes
Reviewers identified the series as a psychological thriller built on emotional manipulation, buried resentment, and the long consequences of childhood trauma, with the relationship between the brothers as its center.[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30) A late revelation suggests Ashu may have taken the fall for a crime committed years earlier by Max and his partners Pedro and Shardul, which reframes his return as both a quest for acceptance and a campaign of revenge.[2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake) • [12](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/web-series-details/hindi/kankhajura/webseriesshow/121420355.cms) The Lehren review summarized the show's moral claim as the lasting damage done among siblings and friends in their formative years.[8](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/)
## Reception
**Critical response.** Reviews converged on praise for Roshan Mathew and divided verdicts on the writing. India Today gave 3 out of 5, calling the series an absorbing character study that falters with a rushed, less impactful ending.[11](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30) [Hindustan Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindustan-times) awarded 4 stars and described Mathew's work as a masterclass that makes the remake almost better than the original.[9](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/kankhajura-review-a-roshan-mathew-masterclass-in-acting-makes-this-magpie-remake-better-than-original-mohit-raina-101748577304201.html) The Hollywood Reporter India judged that a solid Mathew performance could not rescue what it called a scrambled remake.[2](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake) Rediff found the plot progression predictable and tepid,[16](https://m.rediff.com/movies/review/kankhajura-review-tepid-thriller/20250530.htm) while Filmfare and [ABP News](https://www.edgepedia.org/abp-news) gave 3 and 3.5 stars respectively.[17](https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/web-series/kankhajura-series-review-revenge-served-cold-74282.amp) • [18](https://news.abplive.com/entertainment/ott/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-mathew-creepy-thriller-slowly-crawls-into-your-mind-and-messes-with-it-1775927) The Times of India gave 3.5, calling it a thoughtful, character-driven drama.[19](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/kankhajura/seriesreview/121420582.cms)
**Audience and aggregate scores.** IMDb lists 7.1/10 from 856 votes;[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30820007) Rotten Tomatoes shows a 60% Tomatometer from 5 reviews;[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura) Gadgets 360 lists a critic rating of 6.8/10 and a user rating of 4.3/5.[1](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675) Fan reactions on X (formerly Twitter) singled out Mathew's performance for particular praise.[20](https://www.ottplay.com/news/kankhajura-twitter-review-fans-cant-get-enough-of-roshan-mathews-performance-calls-him-exceptionally-well/2db9632a3c776)
## References
1. [KanKhajura Web Series (2025), Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/kankhajura-web-series-123675)
2. [Rahul Desai, 'Kankhajura' Series Review: A Solid Roshan Mathew Cannot Rescue a Scrambled Remake, The Hollywood Reporter India](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/amp/story/reviews/streaming/kankhajura-series-review-a-solid-roshan-mathew-cannot-rescue-a-scrambled-remake)
3. [Kankhajura Web Series on SonyLIV: Release Date, Cast, and All You Need to Know, Zoom TV](https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/web-series/kankhajura-web-series-on-sonyliv-release-date-cast-and-all-you-need-to-know-article-151729238)
4. [कनखजूरा, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura)
5. [Kankhajura, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/kankhajura)
6. [Kan Khajura (TV Series 2025– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30820007)
7. [Kankhajura Web Series, Digit Binge](https://www.digit.in/digit-binge/shows/kankhajura-883631.html)
8. [Bharathi Pradhan, Kankhajura Review – Creepy Manipulations, Lehren](https://lehren.com/kankhajura-review-creepy-manipulations/)
9. [Abhimanyu Mathur, Kankhajura review, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/kankhajura-review-a-roshan-mathew-masterclass-in-acting-makes-this-magpie-remake-better-than-original-mohit-raina-101748577304201.html)
10. [कानखजुरा (2025), FMDb](https://fmdb.mov/en/series/292392)
11. [Sana Farzeen, Kankhajura review, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/entertainment/ott/story/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-matthews-thriller-strong-performances-weak-ending-2733144-2025-05-30)
12. [Kankhajura: Series Details, ETimes, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/web-series-details/hindi/kankhajura/webseriesshow/121420355.cms)
13. [Kankhajura, Simkl](https://simkl.com/tv/2793263/kankhajura)
14. [कनखजूरा – Aired Order, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/kankhajura/allseasons/official)
15. [Is Kankhajura coming back?, isitback](https://isitback.com/show/kankhajura)
16. [Mayur Sanap, Kankhajura Review: Tepid Thriller, Rediff.com](https://m.rediff.com/movies/review/kankhajura-review-tepid-thriller/20250530.htm)
17. [Devesh Sharma, Kankhajura Series Review: Revenge served cold, Filmfare](https://www.filmfare.com/reviews/web-series/kankhajura-series-review-revenge-served-cold-74282.amp)
18. [Kankhajura Review, ABP News](https://news.abplive.com/entertainment/ott/kankhajura-review-mohit-raina-roshan-mathew-creepy-thriller-slowly-crawls-into-your-mind-and-messes-with-it-1775927)
19. [Kankhajura Series Review, ETimes](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/hindi/kankhajura/seriesreview/121420582.cms)
20. [Kankhajura Twitter Review, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/news/kankhajura-twitter-review-fans-cant-get-enough-of-roshan-mathews-performance-calls-him-exceptionally-well/2db9632a3c776)
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*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 › Premiered 2025 to 2026*
*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*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license