BOTTOM LINE
Basic But Engaging Espionage Drama
PLATFORM
SONYLIV
RUNTIME
280 Minutes (6 Episodes)
What Is the Film About?
BIA, fearing an attack larger than 26/11 orchestrated by a hidden mastermind, deploys agent Red Queen, undercover as Pakistani journalist Shireen Malik. When terrorists infiltrate India, agents Alpha and Red Queen do the needful. Their focus soon shifts to scientist Dr. Madeeha, complicated by Namrata’s discovery of her husband’s ISI ties. Another crucial breakthrough reveals terrorist Iblis disguised as Rehan in Mumbai, who plans to attack the parliament.
Performances
Eijaz Khan is undoubtedly the lifeline of the show, has the right physicality, body language and the acting chops to carry a tale on his shoulders. Pooja Gor, his female counterpart is a picture of confidence and composure in the shoes of Durga, who goes about her job with unwavering focus.
Swaroopa Ghosh is generally good with an assertive screen presence, though her role is largely limited to being a principal-like disciplinarian at work. The supporting cast – comprising Chirag Mehra, Roshnee Rai, Parag Chadha, Zara Khan and Shriya Jha do the needful within the brief screen time.
Analysis
Adrishyam – The Invisible Heroes, as the self-explanatory caption reads, casts light on the unsung heroes who sweat it out on the field, risking their lives to protect the nation, while their identity is under wraps. These shows that don’t try to be high art, choose stories that are relatively less complex with the plot, are easier to execute and ensure minimum-guarantee metrics for the OTT platform.
Released as 26 weekly episodicals in its first season, Adrishyam made news for the right reasons, despite its simplistic execution. As a show, it doesn’t have many layers – the protagonists Ravi and Durga are righteous; they’re very clear about what’s right and what isn’t. While Ravi is soon expecting a child, Durga is an orphan who lives with an elderly couple abandoned by their children.
In the second season, Adrishyam 2, where six episodes have been released to date, the protagonists have three operations ahead of them – Taajposhi, Scientist and Iblis (each of them comprise two episodes). If the first one is an undercover operation partly set in Pakistan, the hunt for a dubious Bangladeshi scientist and a terrorist Iblis a.k.a Rehaan are on in the other operations.
The targets in all the high-stakes cases are straightforward – from the neighbouring nations like Pakistan, Bangladesh; they spare none, and the danger they could bring to the nation is immense. While it claims to be intentionally insulated from modern-day politics, the deliberate focus on terrorists of a particular identity (as against the saviours – the officers) appears intentional.
In one of the operations, the perpetrator uses a private video of a woman who works with a state governor to pull off an attack, another banned scientist marries an Indian national under a disguised identity, and the third operation involves an air marshal, who deceptively changes his appearance to execute his plans. Among them, the one based on the scientist is perhaps the best executed in terms of storytelling – it is believable and packed with a few juicy twists.
There are no major complaints with the show because it has limited aims, simplifying (sometimes overdoes it) complex missions for easy consumption of the viewer, trying to be entertaining at the same time. Time and again, the officers create an element of urgency and panic in the atmosphere, uttering lines like ‘I need it right now..’, ‘We don’t have enough time’, and ‘There’s no room for error’ at the workplace. Of course, they also have little or no personal life.
Yet, going by the limitations in terms of the budget, casting, locations and the kind of themes it can choose to address, Adrishyam 2 gets its basics right and remains believable for the most part (it doesn’t have space for nuance or alternative theories). Of course, there’s scope to get better – the filmmaking could be sharper, it could throw more challenges in the paths of the protagonists, the detailing can be elaborate and bring in an amount of realism in the portrayal of the antagonists too.
If espionage sagas were a cuisine, Adrishyam 2 is akin to fast food, which engages but also has its limitations. Keep a check on your expectations and you may not have many issues with it.
Music and Other Departments?
Udbhav Ojha’s background score, much like the show, is meant for instant gratification, even if it doesn’t do anything pathbreaking. Cinematographers Alamgir Shaikh, Vedprasad Pandey deliver what’s necessary to further the story through their visuals. The dialogues are strictly functional. The screenplay has its strengths – stays true to its setting minus any major distractions.
Highlights?
Reasonably engaging
Decent performances
Neat execution (though low-key) – going by the constraints
Drawbacks?
Over simplified at times
Makes its characters look like robots, largely unchallenged
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
Provided you like espionage tales and keep your expectations low
Adrishyam 2 Web Series Review by M9
