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The second season of is more emotional and well-rounded than the first. After a couple of choppy early episodes, the Netflix show offers fuller character arcs that offset the sweeping brutality and heavy use of profanity.

The Indian adaptation of the American series Ray Donovan stars Rana Daggubati as a fixer for celebrities, politicians and businessmen. Venkatesh Daggubati is Rana’s chaotic and untamed father Naga. Surveen Chawla plays Naina, who is in a strained marriage with Rana. Sushant Singh and Abhishek Banerjee play Rana’s brothers Tej and Jaffa, respectively.

Created by Karan Anshuman for India, the eight-part season is helmed by Anshuman, Suparn S Varma and Abhay Chopra. The new instalment is elevated by the menacing antagonist Rauf, played by Arjun Rampal, who brings a compelling mix of villainy and impenetrability. Rauf is a formidable adversary to Rana, always a few steps ahead and unflinchingly violent.

The series toggles between scandals involving Rana’s clients and the ever-complicated, dysfunctional Naidu family. Rana is juggling a fractured marriage, tense relationships with his brothers, high-stake cover-ups and an ongoing stand-off with his father. Rana and Naga remain disagreeable characters, entangled in bloody webs of their own making.

Now distanced from politician Mahajan (Rajesh Jais), Rana finds himself entrenched with the wealthy Oberoi family...