BOTTOM LINE
Whistleblower Story Lacks Freshness
PLATFORM
JioHotstar
RUNTIME
5 hours 45 minutes | 8 Episodes
What Is the Show About?
Vinod, a youngster from Kozhikode, takes up his new job at a pharma firm RX Life with great enthusiasm. Despite a frantic start, he grows up the corporate ladder in quick succession. Over time, as Vinod is in the know of the dark practices within the industry that ensures his livelihood at the cost of so many lives, he joins forces with Rajiv Rao’s organisation Zaathi to expose the truth.
Performances
Nivin Pauly, while trying to stay true to the spirit of a sedate role, isn’t in his element and lacks the typical on-screen energy that brings his performances alive. This is set in a serious space alright, but the spark is amiss. Rajit Kapur is just okay as Rajiv Rao, though the part does not have many layers or depth to it. Shruti Ramachandran is a picture of poise in a meaty character, who Narain ably supports.
Analysis
Pharma, Jio Hotstar’s latest Malayalam show that marks Nivin Pauly’s foray into long-format storytelling, is a story that can be categorised under the ‘Madhur Bhandarkar genre’. The protagonist Vinod, like the Hindi filmmaker’s leads in films like Page 3, Fashion, and Corporate, is an insider with a conscience who pays a heavy price for a newfound path to fight an uphill battle against a rotten industry.
Directed by P R Arun, Pharma unfolds as a flashback of a do-gooder Dr Rajiv Rao, who seeks to clean up the mess within the pharma sector and makes many personal sacrifices to ensure justice to those affected by its exploitative practices. The narrative goes back into the past of an enthusiastic small-town boy, Vinod, who learns the ropes of his job at a buzzing pharma firm RX Life Healthcare.
As you would expect of a Nivin Pauly starrer, there is a goofiness to Vinod: he has tall aims, is politically incorrect, and finds new ways to land in trouble now and then. Facing repeated humiliation at work, he finds the going tough initially but makes amends soon. The sale of a drug named KydoXin, which ensures his growth in the company, quickly leads to his downfall.
KydoXin, a drug catered to pregnant women, comes with many side effects, particularly concerning children. As complaints against the product grow, it is soon withdrawn from the market, but the same cycle repeats for newer drugs too, and Vinod struggles to come to terms with it. Many of his peers make progress in their careers, while he is left behind.
Soon, Vinod takes a drastic decision, taking on the pharma giant he once worked for: a stance that comes with a price, but he stands tall alongside Rajiv Rao’s organisation Zaathi and steers an exposé. The show generally plays it safe all along, remains focused in its tirade against manipulative strategies employed by pharma companies, and personalises it with the highs and lows in Vinod’s life.
What works for Pharma? It is precisely the evolution of the protagonist over time, especially portraying how his newfound enthusiasm for the job wanes every year. From his transition as a new recruit to a middle-aged, experienced hand, it effectively mirrors how life humbles him, and he eventually ends up playing a safe game, only to flip the script to turn into a full-blown activist soon.
On the flip side, there is very little novelty on offer in the show. It takes a cue from similar whistleblower films like Maatraan and Velaikkaaran, where a humble man has first-hand experience of people falling prey to the drugs from his own pharma company. There is an arrogant CEO who keeps saying that money is the only priority and destroys anyone and everyone going against him with all his might.
Time and again, the director plays the safe game with his script, using stock situations and characters. The common man is tested repeatedly and encounters several obstacles posed by the rich guy. Some characters are silenced or killed brutally, basically as a warning sign for the protagonist to end his fight. There is a ‘good versus evil’ courtroom battle, and the underdog, ultimately, wins.
The show dips right away after an energetic start. There is hardly any detailing that could enhance the execution and the battle is devoid of any intensity. While the casting decisions are alright, the performances lack spunk. The timeline jumps are quite drastic. Raj Kumar Gupta’s Pill (2024), despite treading the same path, said its story with greater conviction and zest.
Pharma is a disappointment at every level and has nothing much going for it. While a mature Nivin Pauly and a restrained Rajit Kapur lead from the front, the execution does not have the legs to be a gripping show.
Music and Other Departments?
There is very little in Pharma that stands out on the technical front. The score by Abjaksh S is generic at best and does not really push the bar much. On a visual level (cinematography by Abianandhan Ramanujam), the show fares much better, representing the crests and troughs in the protagonist’s journey aesthetically across various locations. The editing style is too old-fashioned and laidback, killing any momentum or interest in a viewer. The writing is stale.
Highlights?
Focused storytelling, character graph
Good casting choices
Drawbacks?
Bland execution, no spunk
No good detailing with the backdrop
Takes convenient route always
Did I Enjoy It?
Not really
Will You Recommend It?
Only if you’re a die-hard Nivin Pauly fan, but there’s high chance of disappointment there too
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