Glory

Glory is loaded with familiar but strong elements: a murder mystery, a revenge arc, a dysfunctional family from Haryana, the competitive world of Indian boxing. The Netflix series created by Karan Anshuman and Karmanya Ahuja and directed by Anshuman and Kanishk Varma begins with the death of an Olympic hopeful being coached by Raghubir (Suvinder Vicky). Raghubir’s daughter is critically injured during the assault. News of this incident brings her estranged brothers Ravi (Pulkit Samrat) and Dev (Divyenndu) back to their hometown. Before long, the brothers return to a cycle of violence, ambition, vengeance and unresolved history.

Although the milieu is boxing and Haryana’s tough training culture, Glory’s revenge drama has more mayhem than medals on its mind. Director Karan Anshuman, along with co-writer Karmanya Ahuja and Vaibhav Vishal’s bombastic dialogues, strive to create a hostile universe populated by insidious, sly beings becoming hard targets of a family seeking justice. Swarming with characters of the good, bad and ugly kind, Glory juggles its whodunit goals and estranged father-son equation across a hoard of suspects and unreliable allies. The upshot is uneven yet watchable because of the talent on board.

An eloping couple is brutally attacked by masked goons in Haryana. He is killed, and she ends up in a coma. The incident brings the girl’s two brothers back to their hometown. They are forced to reunite with their estranged father — the abusive parent who once drove them away — in pursuit of revenge. ‘Justice’ is not an option. The younger son is softer and more forgiving of the dad; the elder one is wary and resentful. But the three men launch their own unofficial investigation; the suspects range from the father’s jealous rivals and local mafia bosses to corrupt politicians and Khap panchayat leaders. It quickly spirals into a violent whodunnit in a lawless land.