‘Gunaah’ Episode 1 Recap & Ending Explained: Why Was Shiva Angry At JK?

Gunaah, which means sin, is a revenge saga of a man who takes on the people that wronged him several years ago. Only a few months ago, Karmma Calling was released on Disney+ Hotstar, which was an official remake of the ABC show Revenge. It looks like the streaming platform is exploring various facets of revenge drama, and Gunaah delivers exactly that. Created by Anirudh Pathak, the show is restricted to a few characters and the life decisions they had to take to move forward and become rich.

Spoilers Ahead

Who was Shiva?

Gunaah episode 1 begins in the central prison, based in Goa. Shiva was controlled by anger and rage that had taken over his mind and body. He was talking about death taking over, and he was not afraid of it. Shiva was currently in jail, and since this was the beginning of the episode, it was not made clear why the man was being beaten to death. The bruised man also mentioned he could not trust love anymore. 

Was Michael a dangerous man?

Michael was a henchman living in Goa, and he was known to be a dangerous man who had built a reputation of beating up people for money. He worked for a rich businessman, and they had asked him to get rid of another man. This murder was only introduced to prove Michael was someone to be messed with. He never believed in anything impossible. The man was also informed about Abhimanyu Nayak, a serial gambler who was in town. Michael was interested in gambling as well, and he was keen to know who the man could be and how he could be dealt with. 

Who runs the five-star hotel in Goa?

The five-star hotel in Goa was run by JK and his partner, Tara. JK was known to be a great poker player as well. Tara was curious to know about Abhimanyu Nayak, the new patron of their hotel who had made an extraordinary request. He was to occupy their full suites and had put restrictions on people visiting their floor. This was the same Abhimanyu Nayak, Michael had heard of. Unlike him, Tara was merely intrigued and did not see him as a threat. She may have conveyed the same to JK as well. At this point, JK and Tara’s relationship is not clear. Either they could be friends running the property as partners or they could be lovers who purchased the hotel together. It is understood that she, JK, and Michael could be linked, and only the next episodes will provide such insights. 

Who was Abhimanyu Nayak?

Abhimanyu Nayak comes across as an ultra-rich man who loves gambling and has taken part in several exclusive games across the world. The man, however, was obsessed with Tara, JK, and Michael and would get angry g angry when he looked at the photographs of him. He was in Goa for a reason and reminded himself of his end goal repeatedly by talking about the three people who were crucial to this property. Abhimanyu Nayak had some connection with Shiva, and that was yet to be established as well. The rich man was only laying a trap for them by the looks of it, and taking over an entire floor was just one way of showing his money, power, and influence. 

What was the story of Shiva?

Shiva was a young soldier who had come back from fighting enemies on the border. He was from Goa as well and lived with his aging father, a blind mother, and a young brother. Shiva was happy to have seen all of them after a long gap. Shiva also had three friends, JK, Tara, and Michael, who were at the station to meet him. Tara and Shiva had been in love for many years, and she was extremely happy to see him after a long gap. Michael and JK were also happy to have him back and were rekindling their old friendship. The reason why Abhimanyu was eyeing Tara, Michael, and JK was still a mystery, and he was tortured by the memories of Shiva. Either Abhimanyu had been in prison with Shiva or they had been good friends. Since Shiva mentions death several times in the prologue of the show, Abhimanyu could be in town to take revenge for Shiva.

Was J.K. offended by people questioning his profession?

As Shiva and his family were at the dinner table, his father began to question JK and the kind of clothes he was wearing. Though JK proudly revealed he worked in a casino, Shiva’s father was not happy with JK’s line of work. In front of the family, JK was admonished for working for a place that glorified drinking and gambling. JK, though, was just content with the money he was receiving; he felt people judged him for his job, which offended him.

Did Tara disappoint Shiva?

Out of just pettiness, he revealed that Tara worked for the hotel as well, which had a casino as a selling point. Tara was working as a receptionist, and JK purposely threw her under the bus and insulted Shiva and his family. Shiva and Tara, after this revelation, were not on the same page. JK intended to create a rift, and he was successful in doing so. JK knew both were in love, yet he chose to cause chaos in their relationship.

Shiva was livid at the fact that Tara worked for a hotel. She insisted her job was at the reception and not the casino, yet the man was angry for many reasons. She’d chosen to keep the information away from him. He felt his parents would not be agreeable to a match where the woman was bringing in money through lucrative means. Shiva also felt the job she currently had was not fit for her, and since she was a woman, the teaching profession would have suited her and his family. This was typical of the male mindset, which wanted women to take up jobs that would not harm the reputation of the family. Shiva was in the wrong, and Tara had put her foot down and decided not to leave the job. 

Why was Shiva angry at JK?

Tara left the conversation while JK swooped in and began to further create tension between Shiva and his girlfriend. Shiva was coming to terms with Tara’s job when JK began to claim men at work were flirting with her, and she could not be trusted. There was no reason mentioned why JK was trying to create a rift between two people who had been in love for many years. JK most likely was in love with Tara. Shiva may have done something in the past that rubbed JK the wrong way. 

Shiva was the kind of person who was willing to get carried away by JK’s words. JK and Shiva had been friends for a long time, which may have let the latter know his old friend was not always a good person. The episode ended with everyone back at the dinner table, while tension was still palpable thanks to JK. This again proves that Indian families have been and continue to be regressive when it comes to women. Only the upcoming episodes will further delve into how Abhimanyu knew Shiva and what exactly happened to him that led to his being arrested.