Young love, gunslinging, and the players of an opium ring open the first episode of the Indian comedy-crime-thriller, Guns & Gulaabs. The show alternates between scenes of serious crime, gruesome murder, love confessions, and comedic bits, which all blend surprisingly well. It also employs various quirks, including movie soundtrack references and fast-paced action scenes, that strengthen its 90s worldbuilding. And the multiple storylines quickly allude to each other in the first two episodes, allowing them all to progress without any lag. With its deft balance of crime and comedy, Guns & Gulaabs begins with a bang and a chuckle that's hard to turn away from.

Rajkummar Rao as Paana "Spanner" Tipu supplies the best comedic timing out of everyone. He draws out an inappropriate laugh when he's fake crying at his father's funeral and a genuine guffaw when he sings abrasively to help the young schoolboy write a love letter for him. Even his calm recollection of murdering two men (who disrespect his deceased father) is delivered with a humourous cadence that makes you miss him when he's off-screen. Thankfully, his main role ensures we'll have more laughs to come.