Ek Thi Begum Review – An Excruciatingly Long, Dull Revenge Drama

BOTTOM LINE: An Excruciatingly Long, Dull Revenge Drama

Rating: 4/10

What Is the Story About?

Zaheer Bhatkar is a big-time underworld gangster whose enmity with the gang of the notorious Dubai-based don Maqsood is well known to many. Two brothers Nana Mhatre and Raghu Mhatre spearhead Maqsood’s gang in the country. The latter is heinously murdered in a gang war with Zaheer’s men and Nana Mhatre is in no mood to spare his rival. Meanwhile, Zaheer finds some reason to celebrate when he comes to know of his wife Ashraf’s pregnancy.

Ashraf compels Zaheer to give up on his murky ways and start life afresh. He reluctantly agrees to his wife’s proposal when asked to choose between the baby and his profession. Zaheer, after a word of approval from Maqsood, looks set to turn a new leaf in his life, though Mhatre’s gang and a series of cops have other ideas and brutally cut short his plans. Ashraf’s pregnancy woes aside, she’s left helpless after the death of her husband. Will she seek revenge?

Performances?

Anuja Sathe gets a dream role– she’s superb in the sequences exploring her sensuality and less efficient in segments that pushes her limits as a performer. Chinmay Mandlekar, if not the final stretch where his character takes the equation with the protagonist ahead, is composed in his portrayal of a soft cop. Rajendra Shisatkar, Abhijeet Chavan are excellent in their performances – both with their body language and intriguing dialogue delivery. Ankit Mohan, Resham, Santosh Juvekar are just okay in their brief acts, while Ajay Gehi is disappointing with his portrayal of a Dubai-based don.

Analysis

Ek Thi Begum, explores the shady nexus between the police department, local goons and the underworld in the 80s Mumbai. It’s a revenge drama with a superb seed-idea placing a female character in the forefront who leaves no stone unturned to avenge her husband’s death. ‘How far will she push herself to seek revenge?’ and the ultimate conflict with her conscience forms the core of this gangster saga. It’s a shame that the show doesn’t make great use of its dramatic potential with its uninspiring filmmaking.

The series takes ages i.e. nearly six episodes to get to the core of its plot. Nothing about the gang wars create any sense of danger or vulnerability – the action sequences are unexcitingly helmed and the emotional sequences are bereft of soul. The detailing in the setting is one of the show’s major assets and the writers of the show prove that they have a refined understanding of the modus operandi of the underworld, the politics and the infighting between the local gangs in Mumbai. However, there’s not much in the execution or the craft that compels you to take notice.

The show desperately needed some flamboyance in its characterisation and vigour in its performances. The petty situations, stale treatment limits the appeal of a novel premise. The transformation of the protagonist from a conservative wife (who only sought for marital happiness) to a seductress who could go to any lengths for vengeance, deserved more weight in the plot. Once her methods to outwit her targets are established, there’s no surprise element at all for the viewer. Those familiar with the tropes of conventional gangster dramas are likely to doze off, thanks to its snail-paced execution. Adrenaline-rush is the last thing you could expect out of it.

Time and again, the show returns to focus on police atrocity, the wickedness of its many gangster characters, glorifies the stereotypical journalist’s fight for justice – the writing is extremely repetitive and ends up conveying the same point in many ways. The filmmaker mistakes profanity for intensity. The relationship between the cop and the female protagonist and the subsequent disturbance is the final nail in the coffin – the cinematic cliché to sanitise the image of the lead character spells disaster for the show. Better pacing and crisp character establishment may have salvaged the show to a certain extent.

Music and Other Departments?

The show makes use of many 1970’s musical hits to lend a nostalgic vibe to the setting – some originality through an impactful score would have given it an edge probably. The frames may not have done a great job in exploring the many contours of Mumbai, but the cinematographer brings some liveliness to the proceedings with the colour palette in bringing alive the nightlife vibe of the city. Consistency is a major drawback of the show – the continuity goes for a toss across many sequences. One feels editor could have done a lot to minimise the redundancy through the show.

Highlights?

Good idea and detailing

Reasonable performances

Drawbacks?

Dull execution of a novel premise

Painfully long

Did I Enjoy It?

No

Will You Recommend It?

No

Review by Srivathsan Nadadhur

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