BOTTOM LINE
Ambitious but Confusing
PLATFORM
PRIME VIDEO
RUNTIME
400 Minutes (8 Episodes)
What Is the Show About?
A young woman, Bani’s disappearance into a supernatural darkness leads a cop, Kalpana and a medical student, Jay, on a dangerous quest. They uncover a conspiracy by a pharma CEO, Madhu Uberai, who exploits human suffering. As they try to unravel the secrets behind the darkness, named Tama, they confront their traumas and an unstoppable evil in a final, epic battle to save reality.
Performances
The show boasts of decent performances all around, though it’s designed to exhibit the vision of the creators more than anything else. Karanvir Malhotra delivers a neat performance as the troubled sibling, trying to make sense of his brother’s trauma. Prajakta Koli’s vibrant, easy-going presence helps her portrayal, and Priya Bapat lends a silent dignity to her sincere cop-act.
Surveen Chawla sustains her sparkling form in a multi-layered role that pushes her to explore uncharted terrains. Vatsal Sheth is strictly okay in an underdeveloped character, while Parvin Dabas makes the most of a full-length role. Pranay Pachauri, Kavin Dave and Dilip Shankar do their bit in well-defined characters.
Analysis
More interesting experiments in the horror/supernatural genre are happening in the OTT space than in the cinemas. If Khauf (on Amazon Prime Video) externalised the horrors of casual misogyny in everyday life through a feminist lens, Andhera (also on Prime), created by Gaurav Desai and directed by Raaghav Dar, wraps itself in a dystopian setting, channelling horror through one’s insecurities and fears.
Andhera significantly treats horror from an inward lens; yes, there’s an outward form to it too, but it is more a reflection of one’s deep-rooted issues and the inability to get a hold on oneself. What triggers it? Bani vanishes into darkness, Prithvi slips into a coma after an accident, Rumi’s mother is sent to an asylum, and Jude’s efforts to reunite with his child after a prison term aren’t bearing fruit.
Prithvi isn’t alone in his suffering. His brother Jay hasn’t been the same man after the ghastly accident and joins hands with the YouTuber Rumi to decode the truth beneath his hallucinations. Investigating Bani’s disappearance and twin tragedies in her family is a cop, Kalpana Kadam, who hasn’t come to terms with her past trauma and sexuality yet, and finds a companion in a medico, Ayesha.
The show succeeds in its world-building through a gamut of complex characters, building mystery around the unknown. Andhera piques your curiosity with its diverse subplots initially, but its deceptive complexity is watered down as it shifts its focus to the conspiracies and the dark truths around a pharma company, a medical scam, the quest for immortality and the dawn of a new world.
There’s talk around harrowing lab experiments, a spotlight on a corporate that creates the problem and monetises the solution. Jay and Rumi get hold of a comic book that gives a new direction to their pursuit. Andhera tries to do too many things, habitually over-explaining itself, struggling to connect the dots and find clarity on what it wants to be, alternating between the past and the present.
After a good start, losing its way in the middle, it gathers momentum towards the end, where its purpose becomes clear and stops beating around the bush, without hammering the same point time and again. The characters are pushed to make tough choices, but all’s fair in their attempt to ensure a hopeful tomorrow. Expectedly, a hook leading to a new instalment also finds its way as well.
While Andhera bears the stamp of a storyteller with a distinct voice, who has a way with his form, it fails to concretise its ideas and ambition into a coherent narrative. It’s a compelling yet wayward experiment, where the whole isn’t greater than the sum of its parts.
Music and Other Departments?
The changing tonality of the narrative presents quite a challenge to composer Ketan Sodha, but the score builds on the mood of the scenes well. Huentsang Mohapatra’s picturisation is effective, with the VFX/CGI portions representing the internal turmoil of the characters innovatively. The production design is solid, but the editing needed more precision. While writing is undoubtedly novel, it could’ve done better to streamline its ideas.
Highlights?
Unique premise
Initial episodes
Technically impressive, good performances
Drawbacks?
Loses its way after a good start
Convoluted storytelling style
Too many ideas, little clarity
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts, yes
Will You Recommend It?
If you have a taste for offbeat horror thrillers, try it
Andhera OTT Series Review by M9
