What Is the Story About?
Prime Video’s new Indian original series ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’ is based on investigative journalist S Hussain Zaidi’s defining book on Bombay’s underworld, ‘Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia’.
Set in the backdrop of the seventies and eighties, the series recounts the rise of gangster Dara Qadri (Avinash Tiwary), who snatches the reins of the city’s underworld from under the nose of the reigning trio of dons, Haji Maqbool (Saurabh Sachdeva), Anna Rajan Mudaliar (Dinesh Prabhakar) and Azeem Pathan (Nawab Shah), to become the ultimate king of the city’s crimescape.
The story is narrated by Ismail Qadri (Kay Kay Menon), Dara’s upright cop father, whose bad decisions compel him to bend to the will of the ganglords.
Bambai Meri Jaan is produced by Excel Entertainment, created by Rensil D’Silva and Shujaat Saudagar and directed by the latter.
Performances?
The performances in Bambai Meri Jaan are excellent across the board. Kay Kay Menon is outstanding as Ismail Qadri, as he brilliantly oscillates between his morals and his helplessness. His breathtaking portrayal of anguish as he watches his family sink into an abyss of no return is a masterclass in acting. Saurabh Sachdeva is superb as Haji Mastan. He uses his physicality to devastating effect in his sharp role. Kritika Kamra’s Habiba is assured and arresting.
Vivan Bhatena lends excellent support as Abdullah, as do Nivedita Bhattacharya as Sakina, Jitin Gulati as Sadiq, Shiv Panditt as Inspector Malik, Ashwini Kumar as Nasir, and Aditya Rawal as Chhota Babban. Sumeet Vyas’ cameo is caricaturish and unappealing.
The child actors in the series have done a marvelous job. Manthan Darji as a young Dara is terrific, as is the kid who plays young Nasir. The rest of the cast is superb too.
But it is Avinash Tiwary as Dara that catches and holds our attention. The show tells his story, and he proves to be the lynch pin that he is. He is sharp, belligerent, rebellious, vengeful, angst-ridden, yet adorable and lovable, at different times, moulding his acting chops to the demands of the script. It is a memorable performance, one of his best ever.
Analysis
At its core, Bambai Meri Jaan is quite similar to the umpteen Indian movies and series on the sinister yet seductive world of crime, and the people that dominate it. Relentless violence, brazen gunfights, ruthless bloodletting, unholy nexus with the police, triumph of the underdog, all culminating in the rise of a new player on the crime horizon — we’ve seen it before; and we’ve seen it all. Films like Once Upon A time In Mumbai, Shootout At Wadala, Company, and more, have recounted the same stories again and again, such that they’ve been etched on the minds of the Indian movie-goer.
In that sense, Bambai Meri Jaan is nothing new. Through barely-concealed identities, the series documents the done-to-death rise of Mumbai underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, pseudo-named Dara Qadri in the series. The story spans two decades, starting from 1964, when Dara (Dawood) was a kid, and ending in 1986, when the newly-minted king of Mumbai’s underworld fled to Dubai to save his skin.
The story begins in the Bombay of the sixties and seventies. The trio of Haji Maqbool (Haji Mastan in real life), Pathan (Karim Lala in real life) and Anna Rajan Mudaliar (Varadrajan Mudaliar in real life) rule the roost in Mumbai’s crime landscape. A delicate truce exists amongst the dons. An honest and dare-devil Mumbai cop, Ismail Qadri, goes after them with gusto, threatening to derail their carefully-constructed applecart.
A series of unfortunate incidents forces Qadri on the back foot in his fight to eradicate the Mumbai mafia. However, in a twist of fate, his own sons Dara, Sadiq (Jitin Gulati) and Ajju (Lakshya Kochhar) begin to scale the ladder of crime; and very soon, find themselves facing-off against the powerful trio. The writers and director document their climb to the top through ten 45-55 minute long episodes, and some gripping storytelling.
Yes, the story of Bambai Meri Jaan is an oft-told one – crime-lords sharing the spoils of evil, in the financial capital of the country. Along comes an upstart and shatters the fragile peace. Gang wars erupt, and by dint of his brazen courage and canny, the upstart becomes king.
However, what sets this series apart from its numerous doppelgängers is its deploying of Dara’s father as the narrator of the story. In doing so, the makers achieve dual strike – we see the story through Ismail Qadri’s eyes; where Qadri acts as both narrator and moral compass of the story. Ismail Qadri’s inherent goodness and his increasing pain at his son’s deeds prevent the story from lionizing and glorifying its protagonist into a larger-than-life icon — something that has been an intrinsic flaw in all other movies or series set in Mumbai’s seedy crime-infested underbelly.
Ismail Qadri’s gently thought-provoking voiceovers help maintain a balance in the story – yes, we find ourselves mesmerised by the events unfolding on screen. But at a subconscious level, we also see Dara Qadri for what he really is – an egomaniacal gangster, villain of the piece, who wants it all at any cost.
It’s an achievement worth touting, by all standards. With that out of the way, it must be said that the series is entertaining, engaging and enlightening in its storytelling. There are numerous incidents plucked out from real life and very cleverly woven into the storyline.
The series tries to get its facts right, from Dara’s petty crimes of youth, Habiba’s (Haseena in real life) entry into the crime business, the various face-offs between Pathan and Dara’s gangs, the court murder and other shootouts, Mumbai police’s role in Dara’s rise and rise – all of it is depicted exactly how events unfolded in the eighties.
That said, a lot of the story is manufactured too, chiefly for the sake of cinematic flourish – the ultimate fate of the three erstwhile dons, for instance.
Real life characters make their presence felt in their reel-life versions, adding authenticity and thrill to the plot. Primary amongst them are journalist and Dara’s friend Nasir (Ashwini Kumar; Natiq in real life), whose murder was as gory in real life as it is portrayed in the series; contract killer Ganiya Surve (played by Sumeet Vyas in a cameo; Manya Surve in real life); and Chhota Babban (played by Aditya Rawal; Chhota Rajan in real life).
Manya Surve’s chapter in S Hussain Zaidi’s book has previously been depicted in detail in the 2013 gangster flick, Shootout At Wadala. Followers of Mumbai’s underworld saga will know that Chhota Rajan became Dawood Ibrahim’s right-hand man and chief enforcer in Mumbai after the latter fled to Dubai.
The exquisite production design, by Nitin Gaikwad, elevates the narrative by notches, making it easy for the makers to create a world that is immersive and real. The storytelling and direction is on point and vivid, making it feel like you’re watching the events take place right before your eyes. The settings exude a lived-in feel, giving the impression that the characters have actually been living in Sakina Manzil forever.
The narrative moves ahead at a fast clip, never letting up or letting go of the grip it has on the viewer’s attention. Some portions do drag, especially in the first three episodes; but the pace picks up before the fatigue creeps in. Several scenes are too violent and disturbing for comfort. But it adds to the thrill of the storytelling in obvious ways – violence porn is certainly a big thing in gangster dramas.
The strength of the show is the superbly etched out characters. They are fleshed out so well, that one understands, swiftly and effortlessly, where each one comes from. The ensemble cast, comprising some of the finest actors from the world of television and films, lends teeth to the taut story.
To sum it up, Bambai Meri Jaan is an ambitious, grandiose depiction of the underworld that makes up Mumbai’s seedy underbelly; and the man that still looms large on its past, even three decades after he became not just Mumbai’s but India’s most wanted man.
Music and Other Departments?
Salvage Audio Collective’s music complements the story well. Bibi Zeeba Miraie’s costume design is very good. Tushar Parekh’s editing is efficient. Nitin Gaikwad’s production design is exquisite. John Schmidt’s shot construction is excellent, though a bit more colour and brightness in the frames would have worked wonders.
Highlights?
Performances, especially Kay Kay Menon and Avinash Tiwary
Excellent casting
Production design and cinematography
Taut, tense storytelling
Drawbacks?
Done to death story and settings
A bit draggy in parts
Rushed ending
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Bambai Meri Jaan Series Review by Binged Bureau
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