What Is the Story About?
SonyLIV’s new show ‘Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley’ is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s acclaimed novel ‘The Sittaford Mystery’. The story centres on the murder of a rich man, Brigadier Meherbaan Rawat (Gulshan Grover), in the isolated, snow-capped region of Manali. His nephew Jimmy (Vivaan Shah) is arrested for the murder. Jimmy’s fiancée and budding detective Charulata Chopra, aka Charlie Chopra (Wamiqa Gabbi), begins digging into the lives of the murdered man’s family, friends and neighbors, only to discover that each has a motive and the means to murder the Brigadier.
Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley is written by Vishal Bhardwaj, Jyotsana Hariharan and Anjum Rajabali, produced and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, and co-produced by Priti Shahani of Tusk Tale Films.
Performances?
Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley boasts an eye-catching cast, comprising some of the most accomplished actors of Indian entertainment. It’s a foregone conclusion, thus, that the performances are excellent across the board. Wamiqa Gabbi enchants and engages in equal measure as aspiring private investigator Charlie Chopra. Hers is a refined, assured performance, giving credence to her mettle as an actor.
The rest of the ensemble cast is superb as well. Priyanshu Painyulli is terrific as journalist Sitaram Bisht. Neena Gupta and Ratna Pathak Shah are a class apart, in their respective roles. Lara Dutta is excellent too; though we needed more of her in the series. Vivaan Shah as Jimmy, Imaad Shah as Billu, Gulshan Grover as Brigadier Meherbaan Singh Rawat, Chandan Roy Sanyal as the cringey Manas Debral, and Baharul Islam as Colonel Barua manage to stand out amidst the huge cast.
Analysis
Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley reaffirms the fact that Vishal Bhardwaj is the undisputed master of adapting well-loved classics. After leaving his fans awed with his adaptations of William Shakespeare’s most popular works, Bhardwaj now conjures the same magic with an Agatha Christie novel.
After watching the entire series, you are left with one distinctive feeling – that Vishal Bhardwaj has the uncanny gift of recreating a well-known author’s work exactly how the author would want it to be recreated; and how it is meant to be recreated. Agatha Christie’s works are invariably atmospheric, moody, and imbued with a certain whimsical undertone.
Vishal Bhardwaj and his team have infused the aforementioned elements in Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley with impeccable precision. The storytelling is immersive and engaging; the narrative is perfectly paced; and the Indianisation of the story is admirable. The writers have added interesting Desi touches to a story that is unabashedly British. The setting, too, is perfect.
The series opens with a spooky seance, drawing the viewer into the story. As the mystery unfolds and the body count rises, several red herrings keep us engaged and invested in the story. The writers have departed slightly from the original story, but it is as intriguing as the source material, if not more.
The climax and the ultimate reveal could have been better staged, and with more cinematic flourish, to make it a truly memorable experience. Nevertheless, Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley is a commendable addition to the pantheon of movies and series based on Agatha Christie novels, albeit in English.
The relatively short runtime of the series works in its favour, helping to keep the storytelling crisp and engaging. The cast, as we’ve mentioned elsewhere, is excellent, and rises up to meet the expectations of a sparkling adaptation.
Interestingly, the entire Shah family is part of the series – parents Naseeruddin and Ratna Pathak Shah, and their offspring, Heeba, Vivaan and Imaad. It is perhaps the first time ever in the history of filmmaking that all members of a filmy family are part of a single series/film.
With all that being said, the series is not without its flaws. Charlie constantly breaking the fourth wall is quite distracting and a tad frivolous. Though the funny moments in the series are appreciable and welcome, given the trademark dry humour of Christie’s books, the narrative needed a more sombre touch, to stick better to the sensibilities of Agatha Christie’s works. The breaking-the-fourth-wall tactic takes away from the storytelling somewhat, without adding anything of consequence to it.
Also, The Sittaford Mystery is one of Agatha Christie’s lesser-known and lesser-liked works. Vishal Bhardwaj could have picked a better novel from her vast body of work to convert into a series.
To sum it up, Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley is a well-made series, engaging and entertaining, and good for a one-time watch.
Music and Other Departments?
Vishal Bhardwaj’s original score for the series is esoteric and eminently listenable. Ketan Sodha and Debarpito Saha’s background score is apt without being showy. Tassaduq Hussain’s cinematography is good, though by no means outstanding. Manas Mittal’s editing is efficient.
Highlights?
The superb cast
The performances, especially Wamiqa Gabbi’s
The characterisations
Drawbacks?
Breaking the fourth wall doesn’t quite cut it
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, mostly
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, as a one-time watch
Charlie Chopra And The Mystery Of Solang Valley Series Review by Binged Bureau
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