Category: Hindi Webseries Reviews

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The Great Indian Murder: Much More Than Just A Murder Mystery

Vikas Swarup’s Six suspects was a book which used the format of an investigate thriller to talk about the rampant corruption that runs through in all the systems. The character of Vicky Rai who gets killed in his own party was a just a medium through which Vikas Swarup explored the different facets of our contemporary society. For those who are not aware, the book was about a playboy called Vicky Rai. He is the son of the home minister of Uttar Pradesh. He gets embroiled in a murder case, but he quickly gets acquittal being the home minister’s son. To celebrate his acquittal he throws a party in his farm house. In that party he gets killed by a gun shot. The police arrest six guests on the grounds of suspicion.

Among those who are arrested there is a bureaucrat who claims to have become Mahatma Gandhi. Director Tigmanshu Dullia takes the Skelton of this book and gives it his own touch. There are certain characters in the book which aren’t here but you don’t really miss them as Tigmanshu delivers a mostly satisfying thriller.

The very first episode sets the base for what is to follow. You have a wealthy womanizer Vicky Rai (Jatin Goswami). He has thrown a bash to celebrate his acquittal at his Delhi farmhouse. The party includes family, friends, foes and also quite a few gate-crashers.

Ashutosh Rana plays the father of Vicky Rai. He is a power mongering home minister. Fireworks begin soon after Vicky Rai’s speech. In these fireworks someone has shot a bullet that leads to the death of Vicky Rai.

There are three people who come under the most suspicion for Vicky Rai’s death. One is a slum- dwelling thief (Shashank Arora), another is a tribal who is looking for a stolen ancient idol and lastly there is the former chief secretary (Raghubir Yadav). He is suffering from split personality, due to the split personality he sometimes starts behaving like Gandhi.

There are also other characters that may or may not have had a hand in the murder of Vicky Rai. One of them is Vicky Rai’s own father. Thrown into this mix are a top cop and a CBI officer. These characters are played by Richa Chadda and Pratik Gandhi respectively. Revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate since this is a thriller, also there are many mini stories within that are important to the plot.

The most striking aspect of The Great Indian Murder is the grip that writer director Tigmanshu Dhulia maintains for the most part of the show. There is lot of back and forth which is going on, the sequence of events keep on changing with plenty of twists and turns. It is a lot to handle but Tigmanshu makes good use of the Rashomon approach. The underlining theme of the show is the manipulating of evidence for political mileage.

Each character shows a different side of our society. My most favorite one is that of Shashank Arora. Yes, he is a slum dwelling thief but at the same time there is an inherent decency to his character. The trajectory of his role has an emotional touch. His love for Vicky Rai’s sister and how he goes out of his way to help her leaves you quite emotional.

Another character which needs to be mentioned here is that of Raghubir Yadav. His split personality gives the show some of its best moments. The scenes where he switches over to Gandhi are very amusing, to say the least. There are several jibes that the director takes through his character. 

While most of the characters are well written there are also some which could have done with more bite. An example of this is Paoli Dam who plays an actress. She is someone who has been body shamed and also physically assaulted by Vicky Rai. She even goes to a television channel and blasts Vicky Rai with her words. However, she is soon pushed to the background after the first two episodes.

Also the handling of the many tracks slows the proceedings at certain junctures. You can see that Tigmanshu is trying his best to tie up the many subplots, the strain of that shows up more than once.

In this huge ensemble Shashank Arora and Raghubir Yadav stand out the most.

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Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein: A Twisted Love Story That Keeps You Hooked

The story of Siddarth Sengupta’s Yeh Kaali Ankhein isn’t particularly new. Love triangles where one person is obsessed with another isn’t an unfamiliar space, here instead of a male obsessive/possessive lover you have a female. But what makes the show click is the treatment. Every episode ends on a cliffhanger which arouses curiosity in the audience. The twist at the end in particular deserves a special mention. It is not only something that catches you unawares but it also sets up the base for an exciting season 2.

This eight episode series is set in the imaginary town of Onkara. The plot focuses on the character of Vikrant played by Tahir Raj Bhasin. His father (Bijendra Kala) works under the powerful politician of that area Akhiraj (Saurab Shukla). Vikrant’s life plan is very simple. He wants to move out of Onkara, get a job and have a happily ever after with the love of his life Shikha played by Shweta Tripathi. But his life turns upside down with the entry of a childhood classmate Purva (Anchal Singh). Adding to Vikrant’s misery she is the daughter of the politician under which his father works. Purva’s obsession with Vikrant had started from school itself and now it has reached a dangerous level. Things take such a turn that Vikrant is forced to marry Purva as a result his life turns upside down. Since this is a thriller revealing anything more wouldn’t be appropriate.

An important aspect of a genre like this is how you keep audiences on the edge of their seat, it has to be said that the director does a splendid job in keeping the audiences guessing. The way the narrative moves between reality and Vikrant’s imagination is neatly done. The director also deserves credit for the way he sets up the story in the first twenty minutes of the first episode. There is no dragging or beating around the bush.

The lights moments have also been smartly integrated into the plot. Most of them involve Vikrant and his family. The son’s desperation to move away and do something with his life and the father’s inability to understand it raise many chuckles. These scenes provide a much needed comic relief from the tense drama.

Siddarth Sengupta also deserves appreciation for the way he shapes up the character of Vikrant. The journey of Vikrant from a small time boy to a man on mission is smoothly done. Because of this the grey shades of Vikrant’s character in the latter half of the show do not feel abrupt. It also helps that Tahir captures the nuances perfectly; he doesn’t miss a single beat. Anchal Singh’s Purva is another big winner. The most striking aspect of her performance is the way she uses her eyes. Every time she smiles at Vikrant audiences feel a sense of uneasiness. She is perfect as the intimidating and unforgiving Purva. In comparison to Tahir and Anchal, Shweta Tripathi’s character doesn’t feel adequately fleshed out. She feels mostly underutilized in spite of being one of the major characters. Her job is mostly confined to being on the run and waiting for Vikrant’s instructions. There is a half hearted attempt to give her some agency but it feels labored. Here’s hoping that she will have a better role in season 2.

Saurab Shukla is an actor who doesn’t need any special introduction. He has proved his worth many times in the past and here too he gets perfectly into the headspace of Akhiraj

The cinematography by Murzy Pagdiwala adds authenticity to the plot. The atmospherics feel real starting from the river Ghats and dams.

Watch Ye Kaali Kaali Ankhein if you are in the mood for a twisted tale of power, love and deceit.

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Human: A Show That Is Going To Haunt You For A Long Time

Vipul Amrutal and Mozez Singh’s Human is a deeply disturbing portrait on how the poor become sacrificial lambs at the secret clinical trials. The people in this case are victims who belong to the families of Bhopal gas tragedy. Most of the medical professionals that you meet in the show are manipulators of different kinds with few exceptions. It is true that the show presents a rather bleak picture of the medical community, however, at the same time the underbelly of the pharmaceutical industry is something which cannot be ignored either. The show is not making a statement that all doctors are evil, it only wants to show how some medical professionals lure the poor in order to test the drugs on them.

The story of Human revolves around a pharma giant that is trying to fast track the development of a new drug in spite of fully knowing its side effects. Kriti Kulhari plays Dr Saira Sabharwal. She lands a dream job in Bhopal’s premier hospital under the mentorship of the famous 45- year old Dr Gauri Nath (Shefali Shah). Saira looks up to Gauri as an inspiration, she feels that Gauri is an embodiment of goodness. However, she doesn’t know that Gauri is not what she appears to be on the surface. Saira grows a lot under Gauri’s tutelage as the two women start to form a deep bond. However, her life turns upside down when a shocking discovery throws her life into a chaos. This discovery is intertwined with that of a young migrant worker Mangu (Vishal Jethwa of Maardani 2 fame). Another important character is that of Roma ma (Seema Biswas). Roma and Gauri share a special relationship.

The most striking aspect of Human is the writing of Mozez Singh and Ishani Banerjee. It is not easy to showcase the ills of a profession that is considered very sacred but the writers do a wonderful job in exploring the hierarchy that exists in our society. They don’t confine themselves to just illegal drug tests, they expand the story by showcasing a number of societal evils. There are many times where the audiences will be deeply unsettled but in a good way.

The Bhopal gas tragedy has also been smartly integrated into the plot. It is not used for mere technicality. The directors deserve a huge appreciation for the sensitivity with which they have showcased the plight of the numerous generations which have been effected because of the gas tragedy.

However, it also has to be said that certain subplots don’t quite land. For example, the lesbian track of Saira feels convoluted and doesn’t really serve much purpose. The show could have also done with some trimming. The last few episodes after Saira’s expose of Gauri feel like a drag. Instead of ten, eight episodes would have been better.

The technical team of Human also does a wonderful job in creating the right atmospherics. The cinematography, production design and background score play a major part in the audiences being invested.

Shefali Shah scores the highest marks for her performance as Gauri. We don’t first see Gauri as a villain but as the show progresses several layers come out. By the end the audiences go from ‘Oh so good lady’ to please someone stop her’. The range that she shows is incredible to say the least. On a personal note can’t wait to see Shefali Shah and Alia sharing screen space in Darlings. It will be a pleasure to watch the two dynamite actresses together.

Kirti Kulhari is also in good form as a woman who is working hard to give her life a meaning. There are many emotional moments where the actress makes a striking impression. Vishal Jethwa is another standout performer. It is a far cry from what he played in Mardaani 2. Unlike Mardaani 2’s character, Mangu is vulnerable and helpless here. The actor does a good job in bringing out the nuances.

Watch Human for the performances and the reality it portrays.

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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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Dil Bekaraar: A Slice Of Life Show With The Right Mix Of Romance And Drama

The first thing that comes to your mind after watching Dil Bekaraar is the influence of Jane Austen. Much like Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice here too you have a family of five daughters. The setting and the atmospherics are very reminiscent of her novels. For those who are not aware the story of Dil Bekaraar is based on Anuja Chauhan’s best seller Those Pricey Thkuar Girls, director Habib Faisal takes the core from that and places it in 80’s Delhi.

Out of the five girls the star daughter is Debjani Thakur (Sahher Bambaa). She works as a newsreader at Desh Darpan (a state- owned TV news channel). Akshay Oberoi plays Dylan Singh Shekhawat. Dylan is an ambitious journalist who wants to bring out the truth. He is caught in a story which is related to Bhopal gas tragedy. The parents of Dylan and Debjani are friends. L.N Thakur played by Raj Babbar is the patriarch of the Thakur family, Poonam Dillon plays the wife. Rounding off the senior cast is Padmini Kolhapure who plays the always suspicious and sometimes hysterical chachi. Dylan plays cards every day in the evening with L.N Thakur. Their love story starts off from there. What follows is a mix of romance, family drama, political agenda etc.

Dil Bekaraar works best when it focuses on the love story along with the family drama. The romance between Debjani and Dylan is built well. The writing is solid and the tempo is well maintained. As a result you want Debjani and Dylan to end up together. Akshay Oberoi as Dylan is the perfect casting choice for Dylan. He has got the charm and also the screen presence that is required for this character. Sahher Bambaa as Debjani is another inspired casting choice for Debjani. In simple terms, she is successful in bringing out the nuances of her part as the brave, fiery and no-nonsense woman.

Another interesting aspect of the series is the characters of Raj Babbar, Poonam Dillon and Padmini Kolhapure. The director has portrayed them in an interesting manner. The parents have their own individual anxieties and flaws. At the same time they are trying to be a protector cum guide for their opinionated daughters. The character of chachi has also been written in an interesting manner. She is someone who is constantly suspicious of her husband, the reason being she suspects him of having an affair. However, given her age and background she isn’t in a position to leave him. As a result she relies heavily on superstition and gossip to get over her heartache. All the above mentioned characters along with others add a different perspective to the show. These different perspectives make these characters instantly relatable. You immediately connect with their insecurities. The trio of Raj Babbar, Poonam and Padmini in particular are a delight to watch.

Habib Faisal is also successful in capturing the concerns of the 80’s like property redevelopment, arranged marriages etc. The placement of the Bollywood songs is also cleverly done.

Where the show falters though is its treatment of the political issues. There is an attempt to reflect today’s burning problems like press freedom, being called anti-national etc but it doesn’t exactly gel with the nature of the series. They come across as forced and unnecessary. Another issue is that some of the family subplots could have been handled more efficiently. The bonding between the sisters doesn’t get sufficient time too.

In the final analysis Dil Bekaraar is a worth a ride. This Thakur family will bring a smile to your face.

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Call My Agent: A Satire Which Needed More Bite

For those who are not aware Shaad Ali’s Call My Agent is a remake of a French show with the same name. Since I haven’t seen the French one I will be looking at the Bollywood version as a standalone one. Call My Agent is a series which had the potential to be a solid satire on how the Filmy universe of Bollywood works. However, what we get instead is a half baked product which never becomes more than the sum of its parts. The series also ends with a hint of season 2 coming, but the makers need to come up with a tighter script next time around.

The Bollywood version of Call My Agent revolves a company called ART and the team of agents headed by Soumyajit Dasgupta (Tinu Anand). Rajat Kapoor plays the senior most agent in the company. He is a hustler by nature; He has a daughter from an undisclosed family in Goa. The daughter is played by Radhika Seth. Soni Razdan is the second senior most agent. Aahana Kumara plays a volatile woman with a colorful love life. Ayush Mehra plays the other important member of ART. There are also a host of cameos from Dia Mirza, Jackie Shroff, Akshara Hasan, Sarika, Nandita Das etc.

The most interesting bits of Call My Agent are the long list of cameos from the stars. My most favorite one is that of Dia Mirza. She plays an actor in 40’s who faces the tough choice of getting cosmetic surgery or losing a Hollywood role. In that episode Shaad Ali covers topics like ageism in the industry. In a non preachy manner the director addresses some important issues.

Another interesting cameo is the one of Lara Dutta. In this episode we see Lara Dutta being in a fix about starring in a multiplex film that requires her to be on the set of the ravines of Chambal.

The chief reasons why these cameos work is because they seemed to have enjoyed playing these parts.

Out of the agents only Ayush Mehra and Aahana Kumara work well in their parts. The chemistry between these two characters is far more believable than Aahana Kumara’s lesbian track. Her lesbian affair with Jasleen ( Anuschka Sawhney) is more awkward than enjoyable.

The biggest flaw of Call My Agent are the characters of Rajat Kapoor and Soni Razdan. Rajat Kapoor is sorely miscast and his body language isn’t appropriate for the role of master negotiator he is supposed to play. Soni Razdan is supposed to be a veteran in the company but we never see her handling any stars. She is mostly restricted to observing and giving advice.

Another problem with Call My Agent is that it stays superficial and never digs deep. You get a huge hangover of Madhur Bhandarkar recent films and that is never a good sign.

In a nutshell Call My Agent is a case of looking glossy from outside but shallow from inside.

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Mumbai Diaries Season 1

The horrors of 26/11 are something that has a deep emotional impact even today. Not surprisingly various filmmakers have chosen this topic and have weaved films or in this case a web series around it. For example there is Ramgopal Varma’s 26/11 which dealt with how the terrorists travelled and launched several attacks at various places in South Mumbai. There is also Hotel Mumbai which was about a hotel staff risking their lives to save the frightened guests from the terrorist’s attacks. Out of these two Hotel Mumbai fared better in dealing with the subject.

Directors Nikhil Advani and Nikhil Gonsalves pen a fictional story around the real incidents and place it in a crowded, chaotic and low- on resources government hospital. The doctors and the nurses here are stretched to their limits as victims of gunshots are wheeled in one after another on the night of November 26. However Mumbai Diaries is much more than just a medical thriller.

Yes medical professionals are at the core of the story but they are not the only people under the spotlight. Mumbai Diaries is about the spirit that the people showed on that particular day. It was a night where the city didn’t have the option of dozing off. It had to be on its toes to fight this unexpected attack.

Nikhil Advani and Gonsalves are successful in making a thriller that is both heartbreaking and heart stopping. It is a series which hits you in the guts and makes you applaud the courage and determination that both men and women showed in the face of death.

The series begins off with the introduction of surgeon Kaushik Oberoi (Mohit Raina). He is a workaholic professional who loves taking on challenges but with the tendency of flaunting rules and regulations in the line of duty. The hospital’s chief played by Prakash Belawadi has issues with Kaushik but he still supports him as Kaushik is a highly efficient doctor. The second most important character in the hospital is that of Chitra Das (Konkana Sen Sharma). She is someone who has had a bad marriage; Chitra is struggling to get rid of scars that have left an impact both in her mind and heart. But she isn’t someone who let’s that come in her way of duty. Chitra does her job with utmost seriousness and never shies away from fighting for what she believes is right.

On that fateful day three trainers come to work under Kaushik Oberoi. These are Divya Parek (Natasha Bardhwaj), Sujata Ajawale (Mrunmayee Deshpande) and Ahan Mirza (Satyajit Dubey). Out of these three Divya Parek comes from a privileged section as her grandfather had funded a key wing of the hospital. Alongside the hospital there is also a five star hotel under attack.

An important part of Mumbai Diaries is how the directors deal with the media’s ethically questionable choices. This is presented through the character of Mansi Hirani ( Shreya Dhanwarthy). Mansi is someone with a single minded agenda of chasing scoops. In order to achieve her goal she puts herself and also others at risk. Through her character the directors make some valid points, the redemption arc of Mansi has also been done well.

Another good thing about the series is the restraint that has been shown. The series never pits one nation against another or one religion against other. It is about terror versus humanity. Mumbai Diaries never loses sight of the emotions that are at play.

The female characters of the show are something that can easily have a show of their own. The two female characters that particularly stand out are that of Konkana Sen Sharma and Nitya Bardhwaj.

The etching of the characters is another applause worthy point. There are no superheroes here. All of them come with their own inner demons and are forced to confront them. They all have their backs to the walls both professionally and personally.

Mumbai Diaries is crowded with lot of actors and each of them have their moment. The ones who stand out are Mohit Raina, Konkana Sen Sharma, Nitya Bardhwaj and Satyajit Dubey. Mumbai Diaries is a web show which should been on the top of your list.

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The Empire

Based on Alex Rutherford’s book The Raiders from the north The Empire traces the journey of Babur (Kunal Kapoor) from his ascendancy to power as a teenage Baadshah and also losing his kingdoms in the Fergana valley to eventually capturing back his rightful throne.

Apart from the above mentioned things the series also tells how Babur landed on the Indian frontier and set up his own kingdom by defeating Ibrahim Lodi. Apart from Kunal Kapoor as Babur the ensemble cast also includes Dino Morea, Shabana Azmi, Drashti Dhami, Aditya Seal etc.

Director Mitakshara Kumar is successful in bringing alive the visual tapestry of the book on to the screen but where she falters is the inconsistent screenplay. Apart from the inconsistent screenplay the casting of the lead character is another sore point.

While Alex Rutherford was successful in making you root for Babur through his writings the same cannot be said about The Empire series. In fact Dino Morea as the antagonist Shaibani Khan has the more interesting character.

The most striking aspect of The Empire is undoubtedly its scale. The entire technical department deserves a huge appreciation here. Whether that is the camerawork by Nigam Bomzan or the production design by Priya Suhas.

Dino Morea’s Shaibani Khan is easily the most interesting character of the series. Initially we see him just as a ruthless villain however as the series goes along a psychological insight has been given into why he is the way he is.

His scenes with Babur’s sister played by Drashti Dhami show a different facet to Shaibani. Their scenes have been beautifully done. In spite of similarities with Ranveer’s Khilji Dino Morea still makes a solid impression.

The female characters of Drashti and Shabana Azmi are another good aspect of the series. Drashti particularly shines in her role of Khanzada Begum. She moulds herself well in a character that requires her to be bold yet restrained and impactful.

Shabana Azmi on the other hand has less screen time compared to Dhrashti but the veteran actress makes her every scene count. Both these characters play an active role in the politics of the kingdom and aren’t mere bystanders.

One of the biggest flaws of the Empire series is the ageing of Kunal Kapoor’s character. Kunal Kapoor’s doesn’t appear to age at any point even when Aditya Seal’s Humayun reaches a certain age.

There is an attempt to make Babur aged in the last two episodes, but it isn’t convincing in any way. Kunal Kapoor as I earlier said is a miscast. He is physically fine for the role but lacks the emotional heft required. Someone like Hrithik Roshan would have been a perfect choice for this role both physically and emotionally.

Another issue with the show is the hangover of Padmaavat and also Bahubali. The Bahubali aspect can be seen in the character of Rahul Dev who plays the loyal Wazir Khan, his similar to the role of Satyaraj’s Kattapa. Rahul Dev tries to bring in some nuances but there is nothing much he can do with a character like this.

The screenplay is good in quite a lot of scenes but for a show like this it needed to be more compact. There are no unpredictable twists and turns as such which will keep you guessing. In a nutshell The Empire is a watchable show but doesn’t reach the brilliance of the book.

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Dhoopki Diwar

Director Haseeb Hasan’s “Dhoop Ki Deewar” is a show which needs to be watched for various reasons. It is not just an intense love story but it also takes a strong anti- war message. The director shows deep sympathy for the jawans of both the families and makes them appear as human beings instead of just Indians or Pakistanis. It is not a surprise that the series was banned in Pakistan given it goes where all filmmakers wouldn’t go.

The show begins off with an intense India and Pakistan cricket match. You have two families, one from Amritsar and one from Pakistan cheering for their respective nations. As the first episode goes along we come to know that both these families are army ones. The main leads are Sara Sher Ali played by Sajal Ally and Vishal Malhotra played by Ahad Raza. The fathers are fighting in the Indian- Pakistan border in Jammu & Kashmir. Sara and Vishal are not aware that their lives are going to change forever.

The end of the cricket match comes with the news that the two army men have died fighting for their countries. This is followed by the media of both the nations taking interviews of Sara and Vishal after the funeral. A social media war erupts when Vishal calls his father more brave and it doesn’t go down too well with Sara. Both of them have a heated argument, the media tries to encase on this but the families put their foot down.

Soon the noise dies down as Sara and Vishal get busy with their lives which includes dealing with the unexpected grief in the families. An astonishing thing which happens here is that they chat on Skype sometimes where they discuss the family problems and other things. Initially when Sara’s mother ( Samina Ahmed ) gets angry with her daughter for keeping in touch with Vishal but she soon starts bonding well with Vishal’s mother on phone. It is not just the mothers even the grandparents start interacting on Skype. A friendship develops between the lead characters and it starts leading to love. However a happy ever after is difficult given that both of them belong to different nations.

“Dhoop Ki Deewar” starts off an high and for most part it sustains as well. However there are couple of episodes where the family drama could have shown in an crisper manner. The show reaches it full peak when friendship starts developing between Sara and Vishal.

There are many things that director Haseeb Hasan gets right with the series and one of them are the consumption of entertainment across the nations. For example Vishal is shown to be a fan of Atif Aslam’s songs. The Indian family is shown to be fond of Pakistani dramas while the Pakistani family on the other hand is shown to be fond of Indian dramas. You also have Pakistani girls dancing to the songs Bollywood movies. All these things have been shown in an entertaining way.

While the love story is primary focus Haseeb Hasan never loses track of the other important characters. In fact some of the best moments in the series are the discussions between the mothers and grandmothers of Sara and Vishal.

The love track keeps you guessing regarding where it is going to end. At one point you feel that Sara and Vishal may have a happy ending however that soon changes in the final few episodes. The climax has the potential to move you and there is no way that you wouldn’t feel emotional.

There is a theme song ‘Judaaiyan Kyun’ which keeps playing whenever there is a highly emotional moment between the leads. This song elevates the narrative in a huge way particularly in the final episodes.

Haseeb Hasan also deserves credit for how he shows one half of the story based in an Indian household in Amritsar. It would have been a challenging task since the entire cast is Pakistani but he manages to pull it off.

The performances by the entire cast is super too with Sajal Ally and Ahad Raza leading the pack. Both of them deliver equally and that also helps in making the audiences root for the lead characters. In a nutshell “Dhoop Ki Deewar” is a show which shouldn’t be missed.

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Grahan: An Impactful Story Handled With Great Sensitivity

It has become common for every web series to have a political background, case in point being Sacred Games, the two seasons of Family Man, Paatal Lok and others. Grahan is no different. The series is inspired by the novel Chaurasi written by Satya Vyas. The story traverses two timelines which are set three decades from each other but there is a commonality which binds these two timelines. The eight – episode series packs in many things but still makes a huge impact on the viewer’s mind. The major credit for that goes to director Rajan Chandel and the cast.

Zoya Hussain plays the righteous IPS officer Amrita Singh. Amrita is someone who strongly believes in using her position for betterment of society. She lives with her father in Ranchi played by Pavan Malhotra. Her father Rishi alias Gurusevak wants Amrita to move to Canada with her fiance Karthik( Nandish Sandu). When she tries to solve a case of a honest journalist Amrita is rebuked by top politicians who try to influence her. Tired of all these things she decides to resign from her job. However things take a turn when on old case regarding the Sikh riots in a place called Bokaro comes up. Amrita is asked to take charge of the reinvestigation of that particular incident. Amrita is more than happy to take it up but her world comes crashing down when she finds that her father Gurusevak is the prime suspect in the case.

What follows is a tough battle where Amrita finds herself at the crossroads. She starts questioning her own identity and feels that her entire life is a lie. Her father on the other hand stays silent as Amrita faces the dilemma of whether her father was really a criminal. The other timeline of the story is the love track of Gurusevak when he was young and Manu. These two parts have been played by newcomers Anshuman Pushlar and Wamiqa Gabbi. This is set in the 80’s. They meet in an unlikely sitiuation in Bokaro and fall in love. But the assassination of Indira Gandhi creates an unexpected havoc in their lives. People are seeking vengeance and Rishi heads a team of rioters. However the big question is did he really do it or is there more to this entire thing that meets the eye?

The most striking aspect of Grahan is the parallels that it draws between the 1984 Sikh riots and today’s India. It talks about how people can be quickly incited by WhatsApp forwards and political manipulation. There are scenes in the present timeline which effectively communicate how people easily believe in rumours and turn against each other in spite of living with them for a long time. The underlying message is that issues are the same whether it is 1984 or today.

On the surface, Grahan may look like part investigative drama and part love story but there are subtle references to many of burning issues in our country. These include casteism, sexism, poverty etc. There is a scene where a witness refuses to accept a glass of water from a cop, the reason for that is he (the cop) comes from the lower caste. This scene leaves you with a knot in the stomach.

The series is also effective in giving a psychological insight into the mindset of the people who let themselves be influenced by the situation around them. There is a powerful scene where a rioter sheds tears after 30 years while talking about the people that he killed during the riots. He says that he picked up the gun only to feel powerful and goes on to say how wrong he was.

The 80’s love track gives the series some of its most charming moments. Both the newcomers play their parts with conviction. You root for them to have a happy ending which doesn’t happen.

The cinematography of Kamaljeet Singh also deserves a special mention as he is able to capture the period of 80’s perfectly and make it believable for today’s audiences. The background score is also equally effective particularly in the scenes of the riots.

Another major highlight of the show is the father and the daughter equation and the ups and downs that it goes through the entire process. The emotional scenes between Zoya and Pavan Malhotra will definetly strike a chord in your hearts. It also helps that they deliver brilliant performances.

The only slight issue that I had with the show was the editing of some episodes. It could have been tighter. Also there are certain subplots that take time to unravel.

Grahan is a story with many emotions. Watch it particularly for the sensitive handling of the subject matter.