The trailer of Anjan Dutt’s debut web-series Murder In The Hills is set in the underbelly of Darjeeling. The trailer gradually introduces the characters played by the ensemble cast, which comprises Arjun Chakraborty, Anindita Bose, Sandipta Sen, Suprovat Das, Rajdeep Gupta, Sourav Chakraborty and Rajat Ganguly; however, it is the appearance of Dutt, who portrays ‘the star’, that takes the series in a dramatic direction.

As promised by Dutt in some of his interviews, Murder In The Hills does not highlight the gorgeousness of the hill station. Instead, the series seems to revolve around the characters, both local and outsiders, in the backdrop of murky alleys and crowded colonies — the hideouts of criminals in the town.

It is the death of a Bengali film star that drives the story, of which multiple characters who have a suspicious air about themselves are a part. While a journalist named Tony (Arjun) tries to get to the bottom of the case, a police officer (Gupta) seems bent on abusing his power and intimidating people. The local teacher (Bose) shares a complex relationship with Tony as well as a football coach (Das); the local doctor (Sen), a filmmaker (Sourav) and a writer (Ganguly) are also seen.

The most striking and puzzling sequence of the trailer is one where Dutt invites most of the characters into a room and informs them that he will be committing a series of murders in front of them. His theatrics hint at a complex yet entertaining character and piques one’s interest.

Murder In The Hills will be streamed on Hoichoi from 23 July.