Ziddi Ishq Review: Bizarre, Predictable Revenge Saga

BOTTOM LINE
Bizarre, Predictable Revenge Saga

PLATFORM
JIOHOTSTAR

RUNTIME
7 Episodes | 3 hrs 26 mins

What Is the Show About?

Mehul, a young woman working at an IT company, has a new managing director, Mousimi. After an ugly spat, she is thrown out of the firm. A former colleague, Anand, helps her land a job at Unicorn, founded by the mysterious Siddharth Roy Chowdhury. Her new career move is driven by a single quest: to avenge the death of her ex-lover, Shekhar Datta.

Performances

The show features several capable actors, including Aaditi Pohankar, Sumeet Vyas and Parambrata Chatterjee, yet none of them get fully realised or meaty roles. Despite their best efforts, the performances simply do not land. Priyanshu Painyuli is perhaps the only green flag here, delivering a grounded portrayal of a man who supports the protagonist without expecting anything in return. Barkha Bisht has an arresting screen presence, but is wasted. Riya Sen does not get anything worthwhile to do either.

Analysis

It is strange how streamers consistently underestimate the taste of an ordinary viewer. The moment a product clicks, they churn out endless clones of it, leaving audiences with little choice. When viewers eventually get tired, they declare the trend dead. Why bother creating a cheap imitation when you can attempt something different and possibly memorable? Ziddi Ishq is exactly that, a pointless fake.

The show is a poor attempt to cash in on lead actress Aaditi Pohankar’s critically acclaimed series She (backed by Imtiaz Ali, which was not a masterpiece either), where she played an undercover cop who aligned with the underworld to catch a gangster. Raj Chakraborty’s series replaces the cop and crime setup with an employee and corporate baron dynamic, tying it together with a revenge angle.

However, in the effort to craft a slow-burn mystery, the show takes absurd creative liberties. For starters, it is deeply problematic in the way it romanticises an exploitative relationship between a teacher and a student. The high-school girl swoons over him at every opportunity and, without recognising the vulnerability of her age, he gives in, although reluctantly.

The makers employ a non-linear screenplay, shifting between the present and the past, juxtaposing Mehul’s corporate life with the highs and lows of her relationship with Shekhar Datta across seven episodes. A subtle supernatural angle is thrown into the mix to highlight Mehul’s obsession with Shekhar, something her friends and family fail to comprehend.

Mehul’s desperation for revenge takes a toll on her career. She slaps a superior who accuses Shekhar of being a molester and soon joins the company Shekhar worked for before his death, determined to uncover the truth behind it. Much like in She, she deceptively seduces the suspect, this time the company’s CEO. Is poetic justice delivered? That is essentially the show.

The trajectory is straightforward and offers few surprises. The rich guy is predictably the villain who misuses his power to woo women. Subplots around his victims ultimately help Mehul set the perfect trap. Never once do the makers attempt to infuse freshness into a worn-out formula. Everything feels so jaded, and the supposed mystery never justifies your attention.

Given the resources invested, the cast, crew and scale, it is a shame the final product has so little going for it. At best, the cultural detailing around the Kolkata backdrop brings something fresh to the Hindi OTT space. Beyond that, the premise is rotten, the performances are abysmal, and the runtime, stretching over three and a half hours, is quite an indulgence for the mediocrity on display.

Music and Other Departments?

The technical team delivers what is expected of them, although the material barely gives them scope to push the envelope. Amit Chatterjee’s music is tense and carries the urgency the show demands. Gairik Sarkar’s cinematography passes muster as well. Smarter editing choices could have helped the series develop some identity beyond its done-to-death plot.

Highlights?

Almost nothing

Drawbacks?

Jaded story

Dull performances

Barely any surprises in the storytelling

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

Not at all

Ziddi Ishq Series Review by M9