‘Tandav’ review: Saif Ali Khan’s web series is all style and little substance

Tandav, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is yet one more excessive profile providing from the streaming platform that brings collectively a proficient star forged, and a high-profile director who’s finest identified for steering Salman Khan-led blockbusters. Secure to say then that fairly like his films, Ali Abbas Zafar retains his debut internet sequence Tandav trendy but shallow and simplistic.

Although he will get 9 episodes between 30-to 39 minutes to play with, Ali and author Gaurav Solanki barely handle to scratch the floor of their characters, selecting masala over significant storytelling. Tandav sticks to reaffirming our present notion of politicians, as a substitute of providing any insightful commentary, or entertaining civic classes.

The present kicks off fairly earnestly, weaving in points like farmers protesting about their lands being usurped, Muslim youth being illegally detained or killed, a rising restlessness amongst college students whose idealism remains to be untainted, and the blurring of strains between politics and activism.

Gaurav initially divides the characters into puppets and puppet masters, solely to inform us later, that in politics, nearly everybody comes with strings that may be yanked or cruelly twisted. The sequence begins with the present Prime Minister Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia) poised to win the elections for the third time. His son Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan) greets crowds from the balcony of their palatial house and as he smiles, we all know immediately that he’s subtle however shady. Devki Nandan tells his buddy and colleague of a number of a long time, Gopal Das Munshi (Kumud Kumar Mishra) that he sees a dictator in his son who would be the dying of democracy.

A strained father and son relationship is established instantly, as is the shut bond Devki shares with Anuradha Kishore (Dimple Kapadia), a senior member in his get together and Devki’s ‘shut confidante’ of 30 years. You’ll be able to sense a plot twist arising fairly early within the first episode, so it isn’t significantly surprising to see the acute steps a disgruntled son takes to assert what he rightfully believes is his. Nonetheless, what he thinks goes to be a easy transition of energy given India’s love for dynastic politics quickly unravels into an more and more hostile and bloodthirsty mess the place the ends justify the means.

Parallel to Samar’s schemes for vengeance is the story of hopeful and honest Shiva Shekhar (Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub), Sana Mir ( Kritika Kamra) and their pals who’re college students on the fictional VNU, which is clearly primarily based on JNU. Shiva claims he doesn’t wish to be a politician, positioning himself as an activist who fights for farmers’ rights and calls for Azadi from social evils. Unknown to him, Samar is scheming to lure him on to the grown-ups desk and use him as his ‘Chandragupta’ to realize management over the influential pupil inhabitants. Serving to him, a tad too clearly, is his henchman Gurpal (Sunil Grover) who follows orders, it doesn’t matter what these is likely to be.

Tandav is a present that in all probability sounded nice on paper. It has darkness, conspiracy, greed, ambition, treachery and pathos. Sadly, the makers are unable to translate these feelings onscreen as a result of their characters by no means actually inform us who they’re behind these beautiful saris, kurtas and band galas. Saif seems dapper and sufficiently doubtful, however he appears too aware of getting to be each this stuff. The one time he lets the soft-spoken menace go is when he recollects his days as a pupil chief and immediately you sit up and take an curiosity. In any other case, for essentially the most half, he simply walks round consuming whiskey from crystal glasses whereas Gurpal does all of the legwork and makes positive to maintain his grasp within the race.

After 9 episodes, we all know nothing about Samar’s spouse Ayesha (Sarah Jane Dias) and why she is supportive of his schemes. Ditto for Samar’s frenemies turned foes, Gopal Das and Anuradha. Anuradha, who’s a significant participant on this drama, is diminished to a two-line backstory and a conveniently recorded audio clip which reduces her character arc to FYI moments. Zeeshan seems a lot older than his supposed classmates however he’s a proficient actor to deliver the required broad eyed innocence and sincerity to his half. Sadly, the script by no means actually offers him the depth or complexity of an Ansari from Paatal Lok or perhaps a Katekar from Sacred Video games whose histories instructed us simply why we had been alleged to root for them. Sunil Grover manages to get the very best deal and the comic who’s finest identified for dressing as feminine characters is nice enjoyable as a stoic henchman who combats guilt with a pet cat and relaxes with sermons from a doubtful godman.

Tandav might have been a gripping political drama that took us into the darkish and self-serving alleys of politics and allowed us to grasp what it’s about political energy that makes it so intoxicating. As a substitute, we get a cleaning soap opera that does Tandav with two left toes.

Disclaimer: This overview was not paid for or commissioned by anybody related to the sequence/movie. TNM Editorial is unbiased of any enterprise relationship the organisation might have with producers or some other members of its forged or crew.