Category: Hindi Webseries Reviews

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The Railway Men: Aditya Chopra Hits A Sixer With This Gripping Saga Of Unsung Heroes

Presents a realistic picture.

The Railway Men (Hindi)

  • Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Babil Khan, R Madhavan, Divyenndu Sharma, and Juhi Chawla
  • Director: Shiv Rawail
  • Producer: Aditya Chopra
  • Music: Sam Slater
  • No. of episodes: 4
  • OTT platform: Netflix

The Bhopal Gas tragedy of 1984 is one of the darkest chapters in Indian history. Thousands lost their lives, and thousands are still suffering from the severe aftereffects.

As the title suggests, The Railway Men limited web series focuses the lens on the little-known heroes of the Indian Railways and how they had put their lives at stake to save as many lives as possible on that fateful night.

There are four main characters in the web show. Iftekaar Siddiqui (Kay Kay Menon) is the station master of Bhopal Junction. Imaad Riaz (Babil Khan) is the newly joined locomotive pilot.

R Madhavan plays the Central Railways GM. Divyenndu is a thug who wants to take advantage of the chaos around them but contributes to the rescue mission.

Meanwhile, Journalist Jagmohan Kumawat (Sunny Hinduja) runs a crusade against the American company Union Carbide — even before the gas leak — and warns the locals against the impending danger. This, he does, in spite of the attempts to silence him.

Synopsis

Babil Khan in The Railway Men
Babil Khan in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)

Through the four episodes, director-cum-co-writer Shiv Rawail presents a horrifying picture of the tragedy.

The Railway Men web series hits the ground running for the first time. The director doesn’t mince any words in throwing light on the moral corruption within the political landscape, including how the chief of the Union Carbide factory got away without any punishment. This he does successfully through the character of Sunny Hinduja.

What also works for The Railway Men is the strong emotional connection that Shiv Rawail builds through his characters.

The subject of the Bhopal Gas tragedy is a difficult subject to handle for any director, let alone a debutant, but the newbie more than lives up to the challenge.

The limited web series has quite a lot of close-up shots of poison emanating from people’s mouths. These scenes are difficult to watch, but they leave a solid impact on the viewers’ minds.

A realistic portrayal

Kay Kay Menon in The Railway Men
Kay Kay Menon in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)

The web series also presents a realistic picture of the aftereffects of the gas leak.

Of course, as viewers, you do feel happy when the four men together save some lives. But the series is also a reminder of how things are still bleak for those who survived that night.

The production design of Rajat Poddar is another plus for the series. He does a splendid job of creating an authentic atmosphere.

The Railway Men also briefly touches upon the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, along with another brief subplot about a group of women who were going to participate in a swimming competition.

The angle involving the anti-Sikh riots has been well integrated, but the other one doesn’t really work.

Performances

R Madhavan in The Railway Men
R Madhavan in ‘The Railway Men’. (NetflixIndia/ X)

The performances of all the actors are top-notch, starting with the excellent Kay Kay Menon. The actor is at his usual best, portraying the determination and courage of Iftekaar.

Divyenndu Sharma portrays the dual-shaded personality of his character well. He delivers some punchy one-liners.

Babil Khan is also flawless. He perfectly adopts the Bhopali dialect. He is one of the men who dies on that tragic night.

R Madhavan has a late entry, but the actor is authoritative in all his scenes. There is a solid monologue involving Madhavan, where he delivers with his usual panache.

Juhi Chawla plays the solo woman representative of the government. She is good in her brief role.

Here, it has to be said that the women characters could have been more impactful.

Final take

The Railway Men is the first web series that YRF has produced. Let’s hope that Aditya Chopra continues to bankroll more web shows on various subjects.

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PI Meena web series: A lethargic detective drama with an annoying protagonist

PI Meena (Hindi)

  • Cast: Tanya Maniktala, Parambrata Chatterjee, Jisshu Sengupta, Vipin Sharma, Harsh Chhaya, and Vinay Pathak
  • Director: Debaloy Bhattacharya
  • Producer: Daniel Varghese
  • Music: Amit Chatterjee
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Prime Video

For any detective/investigator story to work, two things are of primary importance, Firstly the audience should feel that the protagonist is having fun in solving the case. Secondly, the dangers that he/she faces should make the viewers anxious about what will happen next.

Earlier this year, Vishal Bhardwaj delivered a pulpy thriller titled Charlie Chopra & the Mystery of Solang Valley. It was a thoroughly enjoyable web show with an excellent Wamiqa Gabbi.

The setting of Solang Valley also became a major character itself, thanks to the cinematographer Tassaduq Hussain.

Unfortunately, PI Meena doesn’t even reach 5 percent of what the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial had achieved or even the Sujoy Ghosh directorial Jaane Jaan where the hill station Kalimpong was a significant part.

The protagonist in PI Meena comes across as too brooding with no sense of fun and the city of Kolkata fails to become a major character.

Synopsis

PI Meena web series Amazon Prime Video
‘PI Meena’ is streaming on Amazon Prime Video. (X)

As the title suggests, Tanya Maniktala plays a private investigator named Meena. She is haunted by a tragic past involving her brother Joy who is in a coma.

On many occasions, we see Meena pouring out her angst to him.

Though Meena works as a private investigator, the cases only involve unfaithful spouses and rotten fiancés!

Pritam Sen (Harsh Chhaya) is her boss. He has a swanky office and powerful connections as well with higher levels of power. However, this doesn’t make any sense given the kind of cases they get.

Parambrata’s Chatterjee’s Subho Roy is Meena’s partner in crime and also a romantic interest who is very concerned about her. Subho Roy also has aspirations of getting into politics, though his interest in politics isn’t exactly about serving the nation.

The story takes an unexpected turn when Meena witnesses a bike rider named Partho Dey (Sawon Chakrobarthy) being knocked down by a truck. Surprisingly it doesn’t occur to Meena that she should take a picture of the departing truck.

Anyway, she takes the wounded Partho to the hospital and also files a police complaint.

Partho’s mother (Zarina Wahab) believes that her son has been murdered and this isn’t a simple case of hit and run.

Meena decides to dig deeper into the case and the investigation takes her to Littnong where she meets Dr Andre Rakshaw (Jisshu Sengupta).

There is also the track of the virus outbreak running simultaneously. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate.

Parambrata and Jisshu Sengupta shine

Parambrata Chatterjee and Jisshu Sengupta are solid in their performances.

Parambrata’s charming act is a major relief, particularly in comparison to Tanya’s constant brooding.

Subho Roy isn’t a complete saint or a sinner and Parambrata does a good job in bringing out these nuances.

Not a lot can be revealed about the character that Jisshu Sengupta plays. But it is a role which has many secrets.

At one point, he advises Meena to seek something more when she is in a big web of confusion. Jisshu Sengupta is brilliant in keeping the audience guessing about his actual intentions.

Drawbacks

Tanya Maniktala as PI Meena
Tanya Maniktala as PI Meena. (X)

There is no denying the gravity of Meena’s past, but on many occasions, she comes across as an unreasonable schoolchild who is annoyed with everything and everyone.

At no point do the viewers feel that Meena is having fun in solving the case. The constant frown on her face irritates the viewers.

Projecting intensity is different from coming across as bad-tempered and this is where director Debloy Bhattarchya and Tanya falter big time.

Actors like Vinay Pathak and Zarina Wahab are hardly there. They have been utterly wasted.

Another big problem with the series is its depiction of Kolkata. The city never feels like a major character. As a result, the viewers feel that the plot could have been set anywhere and didn’t particularly need this place.

The loose editing also plays a major spoilsport. The episodes could have much crisper and eight episodes feel too long for this story.

After a decent beginning, the web series goes in many directions like the journalist girlfriend of Joy among other things. But these tracks only add to dragging down the proceedings.

Final take

To sum it up, PI Meena is a good cure for insomnia.

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Aarya Season 3 Part 1: A binge-worthy web show propelled by Sushmita Sen’s roaring performance

Leaves you wanting more!

Aarya Season 3 (Hindi)

  • Cast: Sushmita Sen, Vikas Kumar, Indraneil Sengupta, Ila Arun, and Viren Vazirani
  • Director: Kapil Sharma, Shraddha Pasi Jairath, and Ram Madhvani
  • Producer: Endemol Shine India and Ram Madhvani Films
  • Music: Vishal Khurana
  • No. of episodes: 4
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Aarya web series is a significant part of Sushmita Sen’s career.

In the web show, Ram Madhvani brought out a very different side of the actress that the audiences weren’t used to. Her performance and the show were widely appreciated.

The second season turned out to be a worthy follow-up. Yes, the initial portions were a little sketchy, but the web series became more gripping as it went along.

Season 2 was mostly about how Aarya’s children dealt with the untimely death of their father Tej (Chachundur Singh).

An important subplot in the second season was depression and substance abuse through the character of Aarya’s daughter Aaru (Virti Vaghani).

Her son Veer (Viren Vazirani) had matured beyond his years and became a strong pillar of support for his mother and siblings. This also includes the youngest one Adi (Pratyakash Panwar).

Sushmita Sen played a grieving wife, a scared mother and also a tough woman dealing with the crime lords. The actress did a solid job of portraying all these shades.

Now you have Aarya Season 3 in two parts.

Season 2 ended with Aarya (Sushmita Sen) becoming a don. The first person that she had gunned down was her biological father.

He had a hand in the death of her husband Tej. The first episode of Season 3 has a slight recap set to the song “Bade Acche Lagte Hain“. It was a song that Tej was hugely fond of.

Aarya Season 3 begins with her getting shot. From there, the story moves into a flashback mode and tells what happened four weeks earlier.

In the flashback, it is revealed that Aarya is planning to expand the drug business. She has become a complete lady don.

Her chief enemy is Sooraj (Indraneil Sengupta), whose biggest mission in life is to destroy Aarya.

Aarya Season 3 isn’t just about her struggle with the mafia gangs. It is also about the inner battle that Aarya is going through.

In the previous seasons, it was clearly shown that Aarya had no interest in being part of this world, but now, she is a don herself.

Aarya constantly justifies her actions by saying that whatever she is doing is a part of protecting her family.

Season 3 is essentially about the challenges that Aarya faces both as a lady don and also as a mother who is dealing with her rebellious children, particularly the elder son.

Taut writing

One of the strong aspects of season 3 is how the directors portray the struggles of Aarya. On one hand, she tries hard to be a successful businesswoman; on the other, she faces difficulties in being a good mother — the conflicts arising from these situations give the show some of its best moments.

Aarya raises her children amidst all this blood and gory. The loose morals and ethics around them inevitably have a psychological impact.

For example, a situation comes when the elder son picks a gun to avenge the death of a woman whom he dearly loves. This woman was pregnant with his child when she died.

The youngest of the lot gets involved in a brawl.

Directors Ram Madhavani, Kapil Sharma, and Shraddha Pasi Jararth have done a brilliant job in designing their characters.

Another strong point of Aarya Season 3 is its antagonist.

Indraneil Sengupta’s Sooraj is not an inherently bad man. There are times when we see him being vulnerable, and there are a couple of tender moments too.

Indraneil Sengupta does a fantastic job of portraying both the ruthlessness and the ache of a husband who has lost his wife.

Ila Arun as Nalini Sahiba has a brief role, but the senior actress packs a strong punch whenever she is on screen.

Nalini Sahiba is a mini antagonist who will have a bigger space in Part 2 of Seasons 3.

Sushmita Sen is spellbinding

The scenes between Sushmita and the elder son (Viren Vazirani) have also been written with much depth. Viren particularly stands out in the confrontation scenes.

Sushmita Sen once again shows why she deserves meatier roles in films with this roaring performance. The actress makes the transformation from a scared mother to a lioness in a seamless manner.

Sushmita not only brings in the required authority with her body language but is equally effective in showcasing the vulnerable side of Aarya.

In the technical department, Vishal Khurana’s background score stands out the most. His background score plays a big part in elevating both dramatic and action bits.

There are a couple of areas where the directors could have done a better job. One of them is the characterisation of Sikander Kher, who gets minimal screen time this time.

Also, Vikas Kumar as ACP Yonous Khan doesn’t offer anything new with his portrayal.

Verdict

Part 1 of Aarya Season 3 ends with a thrilling cliffhanger, which increases the expectations of the audience.

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Aspirants Season 2: A Relatable Tale Of Friendship, But Falls Short In Exploring Social Issues

Season 2 is about the lives of three friends outside Old Rajinder Nagar in Delhi as adults. But it doesn’t match its predecessor.

Not as gripping as Season 1!

2.5

Aspirants Season 2 (Hindi)

  • Cast: Sunny Hinduja, Naveen Kasturia, and Namita Dubey
  • Director: Apoorv Singh Karki
  • Producer: Vijay Koshy, Shreyansh Pandey
  • Music: Sangeet Haldipur, Siddharth Haldipur
  • No of episodes: 5
  • OTT platform: Prime Video

For those who haven’t seen Aspirants Season 1 (2021), the story revolves around the past and present of three friends — Abhilash Sharma (Naveen Kasturia), Gurupreet aka Guri (Shivankit Singh Parihar), and Shwetketu aka SK (Abhilash Thapiyal).

The past dealt with their aspirations of cracking UPSC and the various struggles that came their way.

The first season of Aspirants was a big success. An important reason for the show’s success was the realistic portrayal of the UPSC aspirants.

The distinct characterisations also made the show a big winner. For example, Abhilash is a serious person.

Guri, on the other hand, is more carefree. Finally, SK is an introvert who struggles on the account of low self-esteem and confidence.

Now the makers are back with Aspirants Season 2, which also moves between two timelines.

The setting of Season 1 is Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. The present portions are about their lives outside Rajinder Nagar as adults.

Synopsis

In Aspirants Season 2, Abhilash is posted as a DM in Rampur. Guri makes constant attempts to get government contracts. SK works as a teacher.

Aspirants Season 2 on Prime Video
‘Aspirants Season 2’ is streaming on Prime Video. (X)

The story in this series primarily focuses on how these three navigate the challenges of their respective professional careers along with friendship dynamics.

One of the things that Apoorv Singh Karki gets right is the problems that arise in maintaining friendships when priorities shift in life. This has been portrayed realistically and will definitely find an echo with many men and women.

The director also does a good job of showcasing Abhilash’s journey as a district magistrate. The day-to-day challenges of an administrative job have been portrayed with authenticity.

Abhilash finds himself at odds with Sandeep Bhaiya (Sunny Hinduja), his senior in the coaching institute. There was a time when Abhilash idolised Sandeep. But now, they are at a crossroads because of their different ideologies.

Sunny Hinduja plays an assistant Labour commissioner. This war of ideologies plays a major part in Aspirants Season 2 and gives the show some of its best moments.

A major area where Apoorv Singh Karki fails is his depiction of the political problems. One of the subplots involves protesting villagers. This has been dealt with in a very haphazard way, making them come across as semi-villains.

Characterisation and performances

Sunny Hinduja in Aspirants Season 2
Sunny Hinduja in ‘Aspirants Season 2’. (X)

A character from Northeast India is introduced in Aspirants Season 2, but it doesn’t have any particular significance to the story.

The depiction of women’s characters is another major problem.

Namit Dubey, as Guri’s wife, is impressive. But the character doesn’t go beyond a traditional housewife. Her compromises don’t make any sense.

The performances across the board are good, particularly Naveen Kasturia and Sunny Hinduja.

Naveen Kasturia is successful in carrying the intensity from the first season. His character arc is designed well, and the actor does complete justice to it.

Sunny Hinduja also does a wonderful job of showcasing the pain of Sandeep.

Apoorv Singh Karki is good at portraying the difficulties of sustaining friendship. But the series doesn’t completely match its predecessor.

Final take

The best way to enjoy Aspirants Season 2 is by watching it with low expectations.

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Sultan Of Delhi: A Clichéd Gangster Saga With All Style And Little Substance

Milan Luthria’s OTT debut ‘Sultan of Delhi’ is an extension of his film ‘Once Upon A Time in Mumbai’, but not in a good way.

admin
No coherence!
Sultan of Delhi (Hindi)
  • Cast: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Anjumm Ssharma, Vinay Pathak, Nishant Dahiya, Anupriya Goenka, and Mouni Roy
  • Director: Milan Luthria and Suparn Verma
  • Producer: Namit Sharma
  • Music: Ammal Malik and Anu Malik
  • No. of episodes: 9
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

There was a time when Milan Luthria was a hugely successful filmmaker.

Both The Dirty Picture (2011) and Once Upon A Time in Mumbai (2010) found acceptance by critics as well as audiences. A common feature between both these films was the dialogue-baazi that appealed to the masses.

However, in the last few years, Milan Luthria became all about style with little to no focus on the content.

The best examples of these are Baadshaho (2017) and Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara (2013).

Unfortunately, the director’s OTT debut — Sultan of Delhi — is another major misfire. It is also directed by Suparn S Varma.

Synopsis

The web series starts with the story of Arjun (Tahir Raj Bhasin).

Arjun is a descendant of a generation that migrated to the capital region after partition. His experiences at the refugee camp make him more courageous with an attitude of taking life head-on.

Arjun’s determination to overcome the scars of his past leads him to the criminal world. In the beginning, it is the arms trade.

Bangali (Anjumm Ssharma) is an accomplice-cum-friend. Soon enough, they fall under the tutelage of Jagan Seth (Vinay Pathak).

Arjun’s chief adversary is Rajendra (Nishant Dahiya), an entitled brat who constantly looks down upon Arjun. He doesn’t shy away from flaunting his privilege.

Like Arjun, Rajendra too has big dreams. Aiding Rajendra in his quest is his late father’s mistress Shankari  Devi (Anupriya Goenka).

The rest of the story moves along with different tangents. There is a bromance between Arjun and Bangali, their romantic relationships, and the equation with Jagan Seth, etc.

Bromance is the only saving grace

To give credit where it’s due, director duo Milan Luthria-Suparn Varam does a good job of establishing the bromance between Arjun and Bangali.

The scenes featuring Tahir and Anjum Sharma are easily the saving grace of this web series. The friendship feels organic and when things take a dark turn the viewers feel sorry for them.

The romantic angles fall flat though. This is a combination of poor writing coupled with uninspiring performances from most of the women characters.

The only female actress who makes an impression is Anupriya Goenka. She portrays the negative shades with absolute relish.

Mouni Roy suffers the most on account of weak characterisation.

Nishant Dahiya plays the brat with the right amount of snootiness.

Vinay Pathak also does well in his grey-shaded role.

Fails to evoke emotions

A big problem with the Sultan of Delhi is how it deals with the portions featuring the refugee camp. They are staged with indifference and feel more like a checklist that needs to be done away with.

In the web series Jubliee and also the first Gadar, there is a sense of heartbreak that the viewers feel. But here, the audience doesn’t develop the required empathy.

Sultan of Delhi also suffers on account of many outlandish sequences. For example, there is a sequence involving ammunition trade. For no rhyme or reason, you have unnecessary murders of policemen.

Milan Luthria and Suparn Varma do an equally pathetic job of showcasing the politics of that period. The best example of this is a segment involving a Bengali filmmaker by the name of Roy Babu.

There is no denying that these sequences have been stylishly mounted but there is a visible hollowness that irritates the viewers.

Final take

To sum it up, Sultan of Delhi is all about empty posturing. The genre of gangster drama seriously needs a reinvention as it has become all about style with no focus on coherence.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Mumbai Diaries Season 2: A Brilliant Story Of Human Triumph Against All Odds

Much like Season 1, director Nikhil Advani successfully delivers a web show that is high on both thrills and emotions.

For those who haven’t seen the first season of Mumbai Diaries (2021), the plot was about the events that took place amidst the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. At the centre of this story were the doctors in the fictional Bombay General Hospital.

In Mumbai Diaries Season 2, director and creator Nikhil Advani focuses his lens on unfortunate events that took place when Mumbai city was submerged under the floods. He skillfully recreates how the Mumbaikars survived nature’s wrath and their fighting spirit.

Once again, you have the doctors and their staff, who are struggling to save the ailing patients. This time, the challenges are related to infrastructure in the hospital and of course, their personal demons.

For example, Dr Kaushik Oberoi (Mohit Raina) is under severe media trial due to the grieving wife of an ATS chief Mrs Kelkar (Sonali Kulkarni). She blames him for the death of her husband as he couldn’t save him.

Additionally, Oberoi chooses to treat a dreaded terrorist on that fateful night.

On the other hand, there is Chitra Das (Konkana Sen Sharma) who has a traumatic past that is related to her ex-husband Dr Saurav (Parambrata Chattopadhyay).

Dr Saurav visits the hospital on the same night with a delegation comprising of London-based doctors.

Initially, the viewers are made to believe that Dr Saurav’s presence in the hospital is only a coincidence. However, as the story progresses, there is much more to this tale than what meets the eye.

In a nutshell, the story is about how these groups of doctors battle both the unfavourable weather and their personal demons.

A big plus for Mumbai Diaries Season 2 is how the screenwriters have built a sense of urgency through the writing.

The viewers feel an emotional connection towards these doctors and want them to emerge victorious both professionally and personally.

Performances

The performances across the board are brilliant with the standouts being Mohit Raina and Konkana Sen Sharma.

Mohit Raina does a brilliant job of conveying both the inner turmoil and the fighting spirit of Dr Kaushik Oberoi.

Konkana Sen Sharma is wonderful in displaying both the vulnerability and steeliness of Chitra Das. Her subplot with the junior doctor Ahaan (Satyajeet Dubey) has some wonderful moments.

Satyajeet Dubey’s character is attracted towards Chitra Das.

Amidst an intense scene with his fellow junior doctors, Ahaan bursts out about how he brought tickets to watch Love Aaj Kal (2009) with Chitra Das. This brings a smile to the viewer’s face.

A refreshing change from the first season is the character arc of Mansi (Shreya Dhanwantary). Her part was a weak link in the first part, But, this time around, Mansi has been etched out much better.

Coming to the negatives, the show could have done with crisper editing. A couple of narratives have been stretched needlessly. These include a queer character that slows down the proceedings.

Ashutosh Pathak’s background score is another major winner. His work is particularly praiseworthy in intense scenes.

The background score helps in further elevating the performances.

Another noteworthy aspect of this web series is the production design of Priya Suhass. There is an authenticity to how the flood scenes have been recreated.

Final take

To sum it up, Mumbai Diaries Season 2 makes the viewers wish that Nikhil Advani comes up with a Season 3.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Charlie Chopra & The Mystery Of Solang Valley: A Pulpy Thriller That Keeps You Hooked

Vishal Bhardwaj shows his mastery at creating a dramatic murder mystery, with each suspect coming with his/her secrets.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s fascination with literature is something that needs no introduction.

The acclaimed director has adapted three works of Shakespeare into movies — Maqbool (2003) from “Macbeth“, Omkara (2006) from “Othello“, and Haider (2014) from “Hamlet“.

All these three movies won a lot of critical acclaim along with box office success.

The director has also tried his hand at adapting Ruskin Bond stories— The Blue Umbrella (2005) and Saat Khoon Maaf (2011).

Now, he is back with Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley based on The Sittaford Mystery, one of the crime novels written by Agatha Christie.

The mystery thriller is set in Solang Valley and Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

Synopsis

Right from the first scene, Vishal Bhardwaj shows his mastery at creating a dramatic murder mystery, with each suspect coming with his secrets. Wamiqa Gabbi is the determined Punjabi detective Charlie Chopra.

Brigadier Meherbaan Rawat (Gulshan Grover) is an esteemed member of the Rockford Estate community. Towards the end of the first episode, his shocking death is revealed. It sends huge shockwaves through the community.

Charlie Chopra takes up this case as her fiancé Jimmy (Vivaan Shah) becomes the major suspect. As Charlie Chopra digs deeper and deeper into the case, many secrets tumble out.

The rest of the story is about who the actual culprit is and whether there is something more to the mysterious death of Meherbaan Rawat.

Technical brilliance

For any suspense thriller, it is necessary that the viewers are intrigued throughout. Vishal and his two co-writers successfully manage to keep them hooked till the end.

The setting of the Solang Valley also ends up being a major character in itself, thanks to the cinematographer Tassaduq Hussain. He does a brilliant job in not just showcasing the picturesque setting but is also equally good at imbuing it with an air of enigma.

Vishal Bhardwaj also dwells on social commentary through the supporting cast. He talks about refugees, unrequited love, oppression, and killed aspirations. This gives the story a certain emotional heft.

Vishal Bhardwaj’s music blends perfectly into the atmospherics. Special mention must be made of the two Ghazals sung by Rekha Bhardwaj.

Performances

The ensemble cast is also mostly on point with a particular mention to Wamiqa Gabbi. After this year’s Jubilee (2023), the actress once again shows her versatility with her portrayal of Charlie Chopra.

A scene which particularly stands out is when she breaks down during an imaginary phone call to a character. There are also scenes where Wamiqa breaks the fourth wall with aplomb.

Priyanshu Painyuli also makes a huge impression in his role as a small-time news reporter. Their partnership is quite reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. Priyanshu brings in some much-needed comic relief.

Among the suspects, Lara Dutta and Ratna Pathak Shah have better etched-out roles.

Lara Dutta plays Wilayat Hussain, a Ghazal singer from Lucknow. As the series progresses, it is revealed that she was once Colonel Rawat’s love interest.

Now, Wilayat and her daughter Waseema are leading a life of indignity. Wassema suffers from schizophrenia. Lara Dutta effortlessly portrays both the protective mother and the Ghazal singer.

Ratna Pathak Shah’s character, on the other hand, is someone who fakes disability in order to claim insurance money. The veteran actress pulls off the grey shades with the finesse that you expect from her.

Final take

To sum it up, Vishal Bhardwaj delivers another winner. Here’s hoping that the director continues to take inspiration from literature.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Kaala: An Overstuffed Thriller That Is Low On Both Drama And Thrills

The biggest problem with ‘Kaala’ is the many back and forths dealing with multiple characters that float in and out.

A black mark in Bejoy Nambiar’s filmography!
Kaala (Hindi)
  • Cast: Rohan Mehra, Taher Shabbir, Avinash Tiwary, and Nivetha Pethuraj
  • Director: Bejoy Nambiar
  • Producers: Bejoy Nambiar, Bhushan Kumar, and Krishan Kumar
  • Music: Gaurav Godkhindi
  • No. of episodes: 8
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

The story of Kaala has certain elements inspired by the recent blockbusters Pathaan and Jawan, but the experience here is far from rousing.

Bejoy Nambiar’s Kaala moves along two parallel storylines.

On one hand, you have an IB officer named Ritwik Mukherjee (Avinash Tiwary). This is set in 2018. Ritwik Mukherjee is given the task of investigating a huge case of “reverse hawala” (a transaction where the money is transferred back to the original sender).

This reverse hawala is being run by Naman Arya (Taher Shabbir) in West Bengal. Naman Arya is a business tycoon who uses waste recycling as a front for the money laundering that he does.

As Ritwik gets deeper into the case, he finds a certain link that connects to his past.

Parallel storyline

Running parallel to this plot is the storyline set in 1988. This portion begins with a military truck being blown up on the Indo-Bangladesh border.

Subhendu Mukherjee (Rohan Vinod Mehra) is a solo survivor who somehow manages to escape by jumping into the water.

He is accused of cheating his own battalion by helping the rebel forces use the wartime tunnels as a route for smuggling.

As Kaala progresses, a complicated chain of events happens leading to Ritwik being labeled as a rogue and criminal, much like Subhendu Mukherjee.

But it goes without saying that they both have been falsely implicated. To nobody’s surprise, Subhendu turns out to be Ritwik’s father.

What follows is a familiar tale of a son avenging his father’s insult by gradually coming to know about his father’s courage.

Positives

One of the few positive aspects of Kaala is the portions involving Rohan Vinod Mehra. His scenes have an emotional resonance. As viewers, you feel for the plight of Subhendu Mukherjee.

Taher Shabbir also does well as a cool businessman.

Also, to the credit of Bejoy Nambiar, he doesn’t waste any time in setting up the world of money laundering.

Flaws 

The biggest problem with Kaala is the many back and forths dealing with multiple characters that float in and out. Bejoy Nambiar does a lot of globetrotting, much like the other SRK-starrer Pathaan (2023). But here, the globetrotting doesn’t have any value to the plot.

The series starts with the issue of money laundering in the name of reverse hawala. But soon, that is relegated to the background. It becomes more about Ritwik’s fight for his father, but not in a positive way.

There is also a subplot dealing with homosexuality — involving one of the villains (Jitin Gulati). It is not just poorly placed but has been written with zero nuances.

This is sad because you have had web shows that have portrayed homosexuality in a much more nuanced manner.

A case in point is this year’s Taali, a web show on the transgender activist Gauri Sawant.

There is no denying that Kaala has been stylishly mounted. But the slickness cannot compensate for the overall dullness.

Final take

To sum it up, Kaala is a big black mark in the filmography of Bejoy Nambiar who is capable of doing much better stuff as we have seen in Shaitan (2011) and Wazir (2016).

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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The Freelancer: Another Espionage Drama That Explores Global Politics

Bhav Dhulia might have directed it but it is an extension of Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Baby’ and ‘Special Ops’; war-torn Syria is the USP here.

Keeps you hooked to your seats!
The Freelancer (Hindi)
  • Cast: Mohit Raina, Kashmira Pardeshi, Sushant Singh, and Anupam Kher
  • Director: Bhav Dhulia
  • Producers: Gaurav Banerjee, Varun Malik, and Mahesh Menon
  • Music: Sanjoy Chowdhury
  • No. of episodes: 4
  • OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar

After the hugely controversial and successful The Kerala Story (2023), we have another story that looks at the ISIS terror groups who want to conquer the world and the extent they would go for it.

For those who are not aware this web show is based on the book “A Ticket to Syria” by writer Shirish Thorat.

In simple terms, The Freelancer focuses on the plight of a newly married girl named Aliya (Kashmira Pardeshi). Her husband Mohsin takes her to Istanbul on the pretext of honeymoon, but his actual intention is something else.

Aliya has no idea that her husband and in-laws have been completely brainwashed by ISIS and want her to be a tool in their plans, too. She is not allowed to communicate with her parents and becomes a virtual prisoner.

Mohit Raina plays Avinash Kamat, an ex-cop turned mercenary.

The title — The Freelancer — refers to this kind of mercenary who fights as a soldier for any group or country that would pay him or her.

Avinash’s physical prowess is established very early on.

Avinash and Aliya’s father Inayat (Sushant Singh) are good friends. After learning about her plight, Inayat tries to contact her, but he doesn’t succeed. In desperation and guilt, he commits suicide.

Aliya’s mother requests Avinash to somehow bring her back.

The first season primarily focuses on how Aliya gets trapped in Syria and how she manages to get in contact with Avinash.

Performances

The Freelancer works best when it focuses on the plight of Aliya, and also ravaged terrain of Syria.

Brainwashing done in the name of religion is something that we have seen earlier as well. But it becomes uncomfortable when the stories emanate only from groups like ISIS.

The character of Aliya is the backbone of The Freelancer. She goes through varied emotions.

The young actress delivers a commendable performance. Her conversations with her mother (Ayesha Raza) are particularly impactful.

As viewers, we feel anxious about Aliya’s safety and want her to come out safe.

Sushant Singh effectively conveys the desperation of a father in the screen time he has.

Mohit Raina makes for a formidable mercenary and also a concerned uncle.

Anupam Kher as the mentor figure has a pleasing presence but the part feels undercooked.

Technical aspects

Cinematographers Tojo Xavier, Arvind Singh, and Sudhir Palsane do a good job of capturing the many locations through their lenses. Their work stands out more when they recreate the harsh terrain of Syria — whether it is the camps, local markets or dilapidated houses.

Though a lot of back and forth keeps happening editing is quite seamless.

What doesn’t work for The Freelancer is the track of Mohit Raina and the complicated relationship that he shares with his on-screen wife (Manjari Fadnnis). It is weakly written, and as a result, their track comes across as more of an unnecessary distraction.

Final take

The Freelancer ends with a cliffhanger of Aliya’s in-laws turning suicide bombers. This makes the viewers even more hooked about what would unfold in Season 2.

(Views expressed here are personal.)

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Guns & Gulaabs: A Blend Of ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’ And ‘Mirzapur’

Another story on drugs but worth a watch for the ensemble cast and the eccentric characters created by the director duo — Raj & DK.

Not as brilliant as Raj & DK’s previous ventures.
Guns & Gulaabs (Hindi)
  • Cast: Dulquer Salmaan, Rajkummar Rao, Adarsh Gourav, and Gulshan Devaiah
  • Director: Raj & DK
  • Producer: Raj & DK
  • Music: Aman Pant
  • No. of episodes: 7
  • OTT platform: Netflix

Raj & DK carved a niche for themselves in the web series zone with the two seasons of The Family Man (2019, 2021) and Farzi (2023).

In both the web shows, the director duo took up global issues and portrayed them through a humanistic lens.

But with their latest outing — Guns & Gulaabs, they seem to have entered more into the space of Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) and Mirzapur (2018, 2020). However, what remains the same is their trademark humour.

Synopsis

The story of Guns & Gulaabs is set in the fictional town of Gulaabgunj during the 1990s.

Ganchi (late Satish Kaushik) is a drug dealer who signs a big deal with a Kolkata-based businessman named Sukanto Chatterjee (Rajatava Datta). As per the deal, Ganchi needs to deliver a big quantity of opium to this businessman in just a month.

Paana Tipu (Rajkummar Rao) is the son of the late Bablu Tiger (Arijit Dutta), a key member of the Ganchi Gang. Tipu is a mechanic with zero interest in entering his father’s profession. He is head over heels in love with a school teacher named Chandralekha (T J Bhanu).

However, Tipu’s life takes an unexpected turn when he kills two people, in a fit of rage, who work for a contract killer named “Chaar Cut” Atmaram (Gulshan Devaiah). This gang is responsible for the death of his father Bablu Tiger.

Jugnu (Adarsh Gourav) is the son of Ganchi who is both effeminate and also savage. He is desperate to win the approval of his father. He gets an opportunity to fulfil his dreams when Ganchi meets with an unexpected accident.

Arjun (Dulqer Salmaan) is the seemingly honest cop and the perfect family man. He was a deputy commissioner of police in Delhi during the time of the Bofors scam. Now, he is transferred to Gulaabgunj with a simple brief of cleaning up the place.

Running parallel to these characters are a bunch of schoolchildren. Among the kids, the most important one is Tanishq Chaudhary playing the troublemaker Gangaram.

Raj & DK smartly integrate this track into the main plot of gang violence and the opium trade.

Eccentric characters

What also makes Guns & Gulaabs worth a watch are the eccentric characters that Raj & DK created. Most of them come in shades of both black and white.

For example, Rajkummar Rao starts as a reluctant son whose only aim is to become a famous mechanic and marry the school teacher Chandralekha. His scenes with TJ Bhanu bring a smile to the viewer’s face.

The actor also leaves you in splits with his fantastic comic timing. There is certain likeability to Tipu even after he becomes a part of the Ganchi’s Gang.

Rajkummar Rao portrays all these shades with his usual finesse.

The combination of scenes between Rajkummar and Dulqer, though few in number, is still good to watch.

Through the character of Jugnu, Raj & DK explore the journey of a young man who is stuck between effeminateness and living up to his father’s expectations. There is a chilling scene at the end where Jugnu pours out his frustration to his dad.

It gives goosebumps to viewers, thanks to the performance of Adarsh Gaurav.

Tipu and Jugnu have a striking commonality — both are burdened by the legacy of their respective fathers.

As mentioned in the beginning Dulqer Salmaan’s Arjun is initially presented as the perfect cop and the ideal family man. But as the show progresses past skeletons keep coming out.

One of these includes a past affair with Yamini (Shreya Dhanwanthary). The duality of Arjun is portrayed well. Dulqer delivers the cuss words with conviction.

The track of the school children is effectively used to address how students are usually slotted under a particular category and the consequences it has on their personalities.

An important track that needs to be mentioned here is the student’s (Gangaram) infatuation with Chandralekha.

Flaws

Nevertheless, one big problem with Guns & Gulaabs is the tying up of the various subplots.

The last few episodes feel cluttered. You get the feeling that Raj & DK were in a hurry to wrap up the web series. The last episode, in particular, even with an interval in between feels much laboured.

The female characters, except TJ Bhanu, don’t make any impression.

Shreya Dhanwanthary, in particular, is criminally underused. This is sad because the women in both The Family Man and Farzi — be it Samantha, Priyamani, or Rashi Khanna — were featured in full-length roles as strong and powerful ladies.

Technical crafts

One of the things that stand out in Guns & Gulaabs is the technical department.

Pankaj Kumar does a beautiful job of taking back the audiences to those times with his lens.

In this, he is aided by a solid art direction department.

Aman Pant’s background score complements the period perfectly. It has the right retro feel. Both the background score and the cinematography enhance the show in a significant way.

Verdict

In all, Guns & Gulaabs do not entirely match up to the brilliance of the director duo’s previous works. But still, it is worth watching, particularly if you like crime thrillers.

(Views expressed here are personal.)