Day: December 19, 2021

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Aarya Season 2: A Strong Follow Up To Season 1

Ram Madhvani’s first season of Aarya was an underdog which didn’t have many expectations; however, the Sushmita Sen starrer had surprised many upon its release. Based on the Spanish show Penoza it was a tightly knit emotional thriller. Sushmita Sen’s performance was widely acclaimed and it gave a new lease of life to the actress. Expectations from season 2 were naturally high. Thankfully, Aarya season 2 turns out to be a worthy one for most part. The beginning is a little sketchy but gradually it gets better and better.

For those who haven’t seen season 1 the basic story revolved around a woman who is unaware of the illegal business that her husband is a part of. Things take a turn for the bad when Aarya Sareen’s husband Tej (Chandrachur Singh) dies mysteriously. The drug mafia and the illegal syndicates seek the death of his entire family. The show traced the journey of Aarya in becoming the mafia queen who seeks revenge against those who killed her husband. At the same time she also takes care of her three kids.

Season 2 begins off with Aarya’s father, brother and one more person awaiting their trail for their involvement with the drug mafia. Aarya had given a pen drive to ACP Yonis Khan, the pen drive consists of information regarding the black money trail and also the drug deals with the Russian mafia. Yonis Khan had promised that he would save Aarya from the Russian mafia in exchange for the pen drive. He had helped her to settle down in Australia with her children. However, Aarya has to make a comeback to her native place Rajasthan, the reason being she has to testify against all of them. But things start taking a dark turn when Aarya makes a return back. Aarya has to deal with a family on whom she has zero trust. The reason being their involvement in the death of her husband. Then there is also Udavyeer Shekhawat who wants to avenge his son’s death. He vows that Aarya will pay with her life. This is just the synopsis as many other things are happening simultaneously.

A major part of season 2 is how Aarya’s children are still dealing with the untimely death of their father. Out of the three children Veer (Viren Vazirani) has become a strong support system for his mother and siblings. Through the track of Aaru ( Virti Vaghani) the director deals with the track of depression and substance abuse. Ram Madhavani does a good job in exploring these issues. He is also equally adept in dealing with the character of the youngest son Adi ( Pratyaksh Panwar). These three characters combined give the series some strong emotional moments.

Another big strength for season 2 is the role of other women characters. They have a bigger role here compared to the first season.  A good example of that are the characters of Hina, Rajeshwari and Maya among others. Out of these my favorite character is that of Maya played by Maya Sarao. You feel like applauding Maya for her strong support to Aarya in adverse circumstances. The character of ACP Khan also makes a huge impact. His determination to smash the drug ring is well brought out but the sub plot involving his partner turns out to be an unnecessary add-on.

Lastly, Sushmita Sen continues from where she left off in the first part. She plays a grieving wife, a scared mother and a tough woman dealing with the crime lords. The actress gives the solid performance in all the three shades. She also gets to show her action side in some of the stunts. For example there is a scene in the interrogation room with her hands tied up to the ceiling. There is a bit where she attacks one of the government officials with her legs, it is a brilliantly executed one.

The one slight drawback of season 2 is that it takes time to get into the groove. Some of the scenes involving Aru’s depression and substance abuse could have been trimmed a bit.

In a nutshell, Aarya season 2 will make you eager for season 3.

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The Biggest Sin Of Pushpa The Rise

Director Sukumar’s last venture Rangasthalam was a vastly appreciated film both commercially and critically. It was a film which presented both its leading man and also the director in a new light. With Pushpa the director once again presents a story in a raw and rustic tone. This time he sets it in the Chittor belt, complete with the smattering of Tamil Lingo. However the result though is far from satisfactory. He takes the subject of Red Sandalwood coolies but ultimately turns it into a typical gangster drama, but the thing is he doesn’t do justice to either genres.

The film begins off with animated video that talks about the importance of Red Sandalwood. From here we move to the main character of Pushpa (Allu Arjun). We see Pushpa through the eyes of a daily wager Kesava (Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari) Kesava ends up being a loyal apprentice to Pushpa. The first part of Pushpa is essentially about the rise of the protagonist from a daily wager to controlling the smuggling syndicate. The story takes place in an era when pagers were in vogue and mobile phones a luxury. In between you have a barrage of villains starting from Ajay Ghosh and Sunil. Towards the end we are introduced to Fahadh Fassil’s character.

ONE OF THE FEW GOOD THINGS ABOUT PUSHPA IS ALLU ARJUN’S PERFORMANCE.

One of the few good things about Pushpa is Allu Arjun’s performance. The actor is seen in an avatar which is a far cry from what we generally associate with him. Allu Arjun not only brings in the required shrewdness needed for the character but he also brings a certain heft to the emotional scenes. The constant emotional trope in Pushpa is him being questioned about his family name. It is an overused troupe but the emotional scenes still work because of the actor’s performance. Another performance worth mentioning here is Jagadeesh Pratap Bandari. His scenes with Allu Arjun give the film some good moments. They bring a smile to your face.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY BY KUBA BROZEK IS SUCCESSFUL IN ABLE TO TRANSPORT YOU TO THOSE ATMOSPHERICS.

Lastly the cinematography by Kuba Brozek is successful in able to transport you to those atmospherics. The visuals are in sync with the rustic nature of the story. The music by Devi Sri Prasad is fine but Rangasthalam had better songs.

The biggest issue with Pushpa is the formulaic approach that director Sukumar takes. With the topic of Red Sandalwood coolies the director could have ventured into a new direction but he sticks to the often seen template. It soon becomes clear that the director isn’t really interested in the nitty gritties of the coolie’s lives. They are just mere bystanders to propel Allu Arjun’s character.

RASHMIKA IN HER DEGLAMORISED AVATAR HASN’T GOT MUCH TO DO. SHE IS DECENT BUT NOTHING MEMORABLE.

The opponents aren’t great either. Sunil is comparatively more menacing than the others but that is not saying much. Adding to the disappointment is Fahadh Faasil. Yes we will see more of him in the second part but whatever little is there of him here certainly isn’t promising.

Rashmika in her deglamorised avatar hasn’t got much to do. She is decent but nothing memorable. The women characters here are completely forgettable in contrast to the ones that you had in Rangasthalam.

HERE’S HOPING THAT THE SECOND PART TURNS OUT MUCH BETTER.

The biggest sin of Pushpa though is that it makes you apprehensive for the second part. There is no solid hook line which makes you eager. At the end of Rajamouli’s Bahubali one there was suspense over why a loyal servant like Kattapa killed Bahubali but no such luck here.

Here’s hoping that the second part turns out much better.