| Director: | Umesh Bist |
| Starring: | Kritika Kamra Raghav Juyal Dhairya Karwa Aakash Dixit Mukti Mohan |
| Country: | India |
| Language: | Hindi |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Producer: | Karan Johar Apoorva Mehta Guneet Monga Achin Jain |
| Company: | Sikhya Entertainment Dharma Productions |
| Network: | ZEE5 |
| Last Aired: | present |
| Related: | Signal (2016) |
Gyaarah Gyaarah is an Indian Hindi-language fantasy thriller series; it is an adaptation of the Korean drama Signal.[1] [2] It features Kritika Kamra, Raghav Juyal, Dhairya Karwa, and Aakash Dixit. It is produced by Sikhya Entertainment and Dharma Productions and directed by Umesh Bist.[3] [4]
The show was released on 9 August 2024 on ZEE5.[5]
Gyaarah Gyaarah is an investigative thriller that is set across a timeline of three decades – 1990, 2001 and 2016. It blends mystery and science with a degree of mysticism. The story is set in Uttarakhand, where Yug Arya, a police inspector in 2016 receives a mysterious transmission from Shaurya Anthwal dating back in 1990, 1998 and 2001 through an old walkie-talkie. The different timelines get connected only for a minute at exactly 11:11 pm. Together, Yug and Shaurya try to solve different cases in their timelines.
Set in the Dussehra fair of Uttarakhand, the episode begins from 2001 where Yug Arya and Aditi Tiwari meet for the first time. Yug, being arrogant, did not befriend her even though she tries to. Later, a mysterious lady takes Aditi along with her, which Yug sees from behind. A few days later, her dead body is found from the barrage of the Ganga river.
The story then shifts 15 years later, in 2016, where her mother (Sanjana Tiwari) continues to protest for getting justice for her daughter. It is known that cases, including criminal ones, older than 15 years are soon to be permanently closed under a new law that has been passed.
Yug, who has now grown up to become a police inspector, is now posted in the police station where Aditi's case is registered. When everyone in the police department wants to ignore and close the case, Yug tries to find clues through her case file.
There is a flashback in the meantime in 2001 when Shaurya Anthwal was investigating the kidnapping of Aditi. Young Yug sees on TV that Aditi has been kidnapped by a medical college student named Raghav Nautiyal and reaches the police station to tell them that the kidnapper is a lady and not a man. He manages to write it on a chit and give it to Shaurya. The news of Aditi's dead body to be found reaches the Police.
Shaurya is angry with himself of being incapable to find the murderer and sees a note stuck on a monitor in his cabin. The note read “4 November Panchachuli Textile Mill”. Post mortem report says that she was suffocated to death and Alkylphenol Ethoxylate was also found from her body, which is found in detergents.
Shaurya investigates in his own way after his seniors get angry on him. He reaches a drug peddler and finds out that it was Raghav's girlfriend who had contacted him at Panchachuli Textile Mills. He then himself visits the Mill at night, which is sealed by the Government. He enters the mill and finds the dead body of Raghav Nautiyal.
In present (2016), Yug goes through Aditi's file and sees the autopsy report. He finds Alkylphenol Ethoxylate and browses for it's uses. The lights suddenly began flickering to a complete blackout. At exactly 11:11 pm, both the timelines get connected. Shaurya starts to call out Yug's name and he is surprised from the mysterious sound coming from the store room. He discovers that the sound was coming from a walkie-talkie. Shaurya then tells that he has found Raghav's body near the Dyeing Shed at Panchachuli Textile Mill, which Yug had told him. Yug doesn't understand anything and Shaurya is hit by someone and the transmission is cut. Yug gets to know that the walkie-talkie was 15 years old and did not have any batteries too. Now, he goes to the mill to find out something, thinking that Shaurya is someone in the present. He finds the skeletal remains of someone and runs outside.
The series was announced in May 2023 when Variety carried a report on Oscar winning producer Guneet Monga’s next venture.[10] Soon after, as a teaser was released, it was reported that the show was a remake of Signal; making it the fourth official remake of the Korean show after it was remade Chinese and Thai.[11]
Gyaarah Gyaarah is available to stream on ZEE5 from 9 August 2024.[12] [13]
Gyaarah Gyaarah received mixed reviews.
Deepa Gahlot in her review for Scroll.in gave it a thumbs-up as she wrote, " Every episode ends with a hook that demands a binge watch."[14] The Hindustan Times also called the "immensely watchable."[15] Filmfare assessed that the show has been adapted well from the Korean original, "The writing and direction from Umesh Bist, who has managed to skillfully adapt the show from the K-drama Signal, is top notch."[16] Rediff noted, "There are elements that make this show entertaining, and if you haven't seen the original show, the concept is wild enough to keep you hooked."[17]
The Hindu commented, "Unfortunately, following this promising setup, the show steadily loses steam."[18] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated it 2 out of 5 stars and wrote, "The biggest problem the series has is being unable to conjure up enough fear or menace, give or take a sequence or two."[19]