Arshad Warsi and Vir Hirani rise above an uneven screenplay. The camaraderie between the two largely stirs the show. Vikrant Massey as the cybercriminal is excellent too. His entry gives the proceedings a much-needed gravity. The characters backstory and his dynamics with Vir Hirani give the show some of its best moments. Creator and writer Rajkumar Hirani gives an important message on malicious hackers, hacked web cams and parenting in digital age
Starcast: Arshad Warsi, Vir Hirani, Vikrant Massey, Satyadeep Misra, Mona Singh and others
Genre: Crime thriller
Creator and writer: Rajkumar Hirani
Additional writers: Abhijat Joshi and Suyash Trivedi
Direction and cinematography: Avinash Arun Dhaware
Producer: Rajkumar Hirani
Production House: Rajkumar Hirani films
No of episodes: 6
Streaming site: Disney+Hotstar
Music: Shantanu Moitra
Pritam and Pedro has a distinct stamp of Rajkumar Hirani films though it isn’t directed by him. The web series deals with heavy themes, but the show never gets too dark. The antagonist character gets a redemption arc too. This approach gives a show its distinct identity. For those excepting another Paatal Lok from Avinash Arun would be disappointed. But for fans of Rajkumar Hirani’s storytelling this makes for a fun weekend watch while also dwelling into relevant issues.
The story of Pritam and Pedro focuses on two distinct individuals. Arshad Wari’s Pedro is an old school cop having issues with the new age technology. Vir Hirani’s Pritam is a tech savvy young man, certain situations lead the two to teaming up, the show gets going with a high-profile kidnapping case. The minister’s son has disappeared. Pritam and Pedro are soon sucked into the world of cyber threats, hackers and digital crime networks. How Pritam’s past is tied up with Vikrant Massey’s Martin forms the major core.
A major strength of Pritam and Pedro are the contrasting personalities. Pedro is driven by the traditional methods of investigation unlike Pritam who sees solutions through coding and digital based technology. How the two strike a balance between old school and new school eventually developing a bond has been wonderfully written and enacted.
A special mention must be of the scenes in which Pedro gets transferred to cybercrime. Pedro neither understands nor respects that world. This leads to some genuinely funny moments. For example, there is the dialogue ” School taught us ABCD, then why does computer keyboard begin with QWERTY? Banda Kaam Kare Ye alphabet dhunde? the exasperation on Arshad Wari’s face coupled with the situaton leaves the viewers in spilts.
Both the writing and Arshad make sure that Pedro doesn’t become just a bumbling cop used for laughs. Yes the man is technologically changed but Pedro is an experienced cop who is competent at what he does. Pritam on the other hand happens to be very good at dealing with cybercriminals, but that doesn’t mean that he is an arrogant young man.
The humor never gets mean and is generated organically. Vir Hirani more than holds his own delivering a confident performance. There are some touching emotional bits when Pritam opens up about a certain past action. Vir does an excellent job in making the viewers feel the pain of Pritam.
Vikrant Massey as Martin enters at a crucial juncture when the show is sought of trudging along. His entry increases the stakes, as a cybercriminal with a solid back story the actor does an excellent job proving again why he is a very competent actor.
He especially stands out in a confrontation scene with Vir Hirani portraying anguish and threat in a wonderful manner. Satyadeep Misra and Shruti Marathe as anxious parents are also good in their respective parts. The usually brilliant Mona Singh as Pedro’s wife gets a raw deal, nevertheless the actress shines in her limited screen time.
The show also has some important passages highlighting children getting addicted to online games and how this makes them vulnerable to digital predators. The challenges of parenting in digital age has been organically woven rather than just a random passage.
Avinash Arun’s cinematography captures the lush locations of Goa well. The music of Shantanu Moitra is quite forgettable barring Piya Piya Piya. The background score of Sanjay Wandrekar though is peppy especially the theme used for Vikrant Massey scenes.
One major issue with the show are the beginning episodes. The initial case of ATM feels like more of a filler for Pedro and Pritam to meet, it doesn’t hold much substance. Even the subplot of a lost radio and the deep attachment of Pritam’s grandfather with it isn’t developed sufficiently.
Final word: Pritam and Pedro is worth watching if you are in the mood for a feel-good entertainer in Rajkumar Hirani style.
