Sonali Bendre on Raakh: 'Explored emotional spaces I hadn't tapped before'

Share:
Audio Loading voice…
Sonali Bendre on Raakh: 'Explored emotional spaces I hadn't tapped before'

Synopsis

Raakh is not just another OTT crime thriller — it is a character-driven reckoning with grief, violence, and moral ambiguity. With Sonali Bendre stepping into emotionally uncharted territory, Ali Fazal playing an unlikely, conflicted cop, and Aamir Bashir embodying a disciplined man shattered by loss, the Prime Video series looks to transcend the procedural genre when it drops on 12 June.

Key Takeaways

The trailer for Raakh , a Prime Video original thriller, was unveiled on 1 June .
The series stars Sonali Bendre as Mona Arora, Ali Fazal as SI Jayprakash, and Aamir Bashir as Lt.
Raakh premieres exclusively on Prime Video on 12 June in India and 240+ countries .
The show is directed by Prosit Roy and created by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket .
Bendre described the role as pushing her into 'emotional spaces I hadn't tapped into before as an actor.'

Sonali Bendre, Ali Fazal, and Aamir Bashir headline the upcoming Prime Video thriller series Raakh, whose trailer was unveiled on 1 June. The show is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video in India and across 240+ countries and territories on 12 June.

Sonali Bendre on Her Character Mona Arora

Bendre, who plays Mona Arora in the series, described the project as a conscious creative choice. 'Raakh came to me at a time when I have become very conscious of the stories I choose to be part of. What drew me to it was how layered and emotionally complex it is. While it unfolds as a thriller, at its heart it is a deeply human story,' she said.

The actor added that the role pushed her into unfamiliar emotional territory. 'The series gave me the opportunity to explore emotional spaces I hadn't tapped into before as an actor. Mona is a character who carries both vulnerability and quiet strength, and portraying her was incredibly rewarding,' Bendre said, crediting directors Prosit Roy, Anusha Nandakumar, and Sandeep Saket for the sensitivity they brought to the storytelling.

Ali Fazal on Playing SI Jayprakash

Ali Fazal, who portrays Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, said the script subverted his initial expectations of a conventional crime procedural. 'The moment I read the script, I was drawn in. Anusha, Sandeep and Prosit have woven a story that is layered, emotionally intense, and packed with gritty realism,' he said.

Fazal described Jayprakash as 'an introvert, the unlikely cop' — flawed, conflicted, and navigating a rapidly shifting political and social environment. He believes the show functions as a character study as much as a police procedural, with appeal for audiences both in India and globally.

Aamir Bashir on Grief and Discipline

Aamir Bashir, cast as Lt. Col. Ashok Arora, called the role one of the most demanding of his career. 'Here's a man defined by discipline and regimen, navigating immense grief and turmoil — a situation one cannot possibly be prepared for,' he said, describing the world built by the creative team as 'viscerally urgent and unflinching.'

What the Trailer Reveals

The trailer offers a glimpse of a brutal crime that fractures the lives of victims' families, while probing the disturbing depths of violence and human depravity. The show is fictional and directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy, with the series created, written, and co-directed by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket. Dialogues are by Ayush Trivedi.

Full Cast and Premiere Details

Beyond the three leads, Raakh features Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav, Divya Sharma, Vivaan Sharma, Anshul Chauhan, Rakesh Bedi, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in pivotal roles. The series streams exclusively on Prime Video from 12 June.

Point of View

Emotionally layered role signals a deliberate creative bet. Her return to a prominent screen role after years away carries its own narrative weight that the marketing will inevitably lean on. The question is whether the show's character-study ambitions hold up across episodes, or whether gritty realism becomes a stylistic veneer over a conventional whodunit. A global release across 240 territories on day one suggests Prime Video is positioning this as a crossover title, not just a domestic play.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

When does Raakh release on Prime Video?
Raakh premieres exclusively on Prime Video on 12 June, available in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Who are the lead actors in Raakh?
The series stars Sonali Bendre as Mona Arora, Ali Fazal as Sub-Inspector Jayprakash, and Aamir Bashir as Lt. Col. Ashok Arora, supported by a cast that includes Rakesh Bedi and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, among others.
Who directed and created Raakh?
Raakh is directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy. It was created, written, and co-directed by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket, with dialogues by Ayush Trivedi.
What is Raakh about?
Raakh is a fictional crime thriller that centres on a brutal crime shattering victims' families, exploring violence and human depravity. The makers describe it as a character study as much as a police procedural, blending emotional depth with gritty realism.
Why did Sonali Bendre choose Raakh?
Bendre has said she is selective about projects and was drawn to Raakh for its emotional complexity and layered storytelling. She described the role of Mona Arora as an opportunity to explore emotional spaces she had not previously tapped as an actor.
Nation Press
The Trail

Connected Dots

Tracing the thread behind this story — newest first.

8 Dots
  1. Latest 1 week ago
  2. 3 weeks ago
  3. 1 month ago
  4. 1 month ago
  5. 2 months ago
  6. 2 months ago
  7. 2 months ago
  8. 11 months ago
Google Prefer NP
On Google