Rangbaaz

Premise and format

Each season of Rangbaaz is a self-contained story with a new lead character and cast, so viewers can start with any season without watching the earlier ones.⁷ The series examines the relationship between organized crime, local politics, and social divisions in the Indian heartland, and its three released seasons focus on the corrupt politics of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Bihar respectively.⁸ ZEE5's business head Manish Agarwal said at the first season's trailer launch that the story is inspired by real events.⁹

Season 1 (2018)

The first season is set against the rustic backdrop of 1990s Gorakhpur and follows a young college-goer who turns into the city's most feared criminal.³ Shiv Prakash Shukla, a 25-year-old from Gorakhpur, works for powerful politicians, becomes involved in organized crime, and is ultimately tracked through his mobile phone location and killed in a police encounter by a Special Task Force formed by the state government.² The nine episodes, each between 29 and 36 minutes, were released on 21 and 22 December 2018.³

Saqib Saleem plays Shiv Prakash Shukla. The supporting cast includes Tigmanshu Dhulia as the politician Ramshankar Tiwari, Ravi Kishan as Chandrabhan Singh, Ranvir Shorey as the police officer Siddharth Pandey, and Aahana Kumra as Babita Sharma.^{1 • 2} Sachin Pathak and Bhav Dhulia directed.¹

Season 2: Rangbaaz Phirse (2019)

The second season premiered on 20 December 2019 and again ran nine episodes.³ It stars Jimmy Shergill as Amarpal Singh, described in ZEE5's promotional material as a dreaded gangster who once terrorized Rajasthan and whose story covers an illegal alcohol business, his friendship with Jairam, and a chief minister's offer of an election ticket in exchange for surrendering to the police.³ The season's cast also includes Gul Panag, Sharad Kelkar, Spruha Joshi, Harsh Chhaya, and Sushant Singh.³ Academic commentary identifies the season as based on the life of Anandpal Singh, a notorious mobster from Rajasthan who was later killed in a confrontation.⁸

Season 3: Darr Ki Rajneeti (2022)

The third season, Rangbaaz: Darr Ki Rajneeti, was released on ZEE5 in July 2022 with six episodes.² It stars Vineet Kumar Singh, with Aakanksha Singh, Geetanjali Kulkarni, and Rajesh Telang in supporting roles, and holds an IMDb rating of 7.7.⁴ The season moves the franchise to Bihar, and director Sachin Pathak said in a 2025 interview that it is based on true events fictionalized as the script required.¹⁰ The series events were later adapted into a film, Rangbaaz: The Bihar Chapter, directed by Pathak, written by Siddharth Mishra, produced by Ajay Rai under Jar Pictures, and released on ZEE5 on October 31, 2025.^{10 • 11}

Season 4 (announced)

ZEE5 announced a fourth season in July 2026 with Mohit Raina stepping into the lead role, which the actor described as "a gritty, layered, and deeply human story."⁵ Ranjan Chandel, director of the 2021 crime drama series Grahan, was brought in to direct, and the season is planned as a more violent, action-oriented narrative on a larger canvas than the previous installments.⁶ Filming began in Bhopal with an extensive two-month schedule planned to wrap by November, and the ensemble cast includes Vijay Raaz, Arunoday Singh, Pawan Malhotra, Zoya Afroz, Rahul Dev, Ashutosh Rana, Manu Rishi Chadha, and Kanikka Kapur.⁶ The season is produced by JAR Pictures and revolves around an ordinary young man with aspirations whose shattered dream pulls him into the underworld; it is slated to premiere on ZEE5 in early 2027.⁶