What Is the Story About?
SonyLIV’s latest Indian Original series ‘Garmi’ is set in the backdrop of student politics, crime and the murky police-politician-criminal nexus in the universities of Uttar Pradesh.
Arvind Shukla (Vyom Yadav) is a sincere, intelligent, though hot-headed student, who joins Trivenipur University to study Political Science and prepare for his UPSC entrances. The university is a hotbed of student politics, crime and hooliganism, led by two student leaders Bindu Singh (Puneet Singh) and Govind Maurya (Anurag Thakur).
A ruthless, corrupt cop Mrityunjay Singh (Jatin Goswami) adds to the explosive mix, along with Baba Bairagi (Vineet Kumar), who pulls the actual strings. Fate lands Arvind Shukla into this sleazy web of crime and corruption, from which there’s no going back.
‘Garmi’ is written and directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, co-written by Kamal Pandey, and produced by Swaroop Sampat and Hemal Ashok Thakkar.
Performances?
The performances in Garmi are top-notch across the board. Vyom Yadav is a dynamo of talent, as he owns the role of a young man, who is perpetually bristling and burning with barely-concealed rage. It’s a solid performance from an actor whose career is certain to take off after this explosive performance.
Anurag Thakur, Puneet Singh and Jatin Goswami are equally superb in their roles. All three are compelling to watch, despite their negative roles in the series. Pankaj Saraswat as the primary crime financier Jaiswal, Dhirendra Gautam as his son Ajay Jaiswal, Vineet Kumar as Baba Bairagi, Satyakam Anand as Lal Bahadur Singh, Anushka Kaushik as Ruchita, Kritik Raj as Brijesh, among others, lend excellent support. Mukesh Tiwari’s short but sharp role is formidable, while Pravessh Rana is average.
Brownie points to casting director Mukesh Chhabra for selecting this plucky bunch of actors—all relatively new faces—and handing them characters that leverage their skill and talent perfectly. Also, full marks to director Tigmanshu Dhulia for extracting sparkling, incendiary performances from his rookie cast.
Analysis
Tigmanshu Dhulia and SonyLIV together have hit a home run with ‘Garmi’. The series is relentlessly intense and hard-hitting, as it tells the story, in nine finely-nuanced episodes, of a naive young hot-head with stars in his eyes, who is sucked into the world of crime and politics due to events out of his control.
Arvind Shukla only wants to become an IAS officer and give his family the good life. He leaves the sheltered environs of his hometown, and gets admitted into the prestigious Trivenipur University in the fictional big city of Trivenipur. But soon, destiny plays its macabre hand, and he gets embroiled in a messy situation not of his own making.
One thing leads to another, and soon, matters spiral out of his control, compelling him to murder and miam goons with alarming frequency. The tall, lanky Arvind takes crap from no one, and most of the time, gives back as good as he gets. A tragic incident sets him on the path of revenge, and the transformation of Arvind, from innocent student to battle-hardened angry young man, is complete.
Tigmanshu Dhulia chronicles this transformation in minute detail, taking us along in the journey of the makeover of a gauche young Arvind Shukla into the rising political star he becomes by the end of the nine episodes.
Embellishing the narrative are elements as diverse as rampant caste politics in Uttar Pradesh, the vice-like hold of babas and godmen on UP politics, the sleazy workings of a corrupt police force, the deep-rooted rot in the country’s police system, a hint of the homophobia prevalent in society, and more. Kshatriya, Brahmin, Dalit, Bhoomihar, Kumbhar and similar caste-specific terms are thrown around throughout the narrative, laying bare how caste governs everyone and everything in the hinterlands of the country.
The story of Garmi might be something we’ve seen countless times before, both on the big and small screen. Tigmanshu Dhulia’s own directorial debut film ‘Haasil’ tells a very similar story. But what makes Garmi a compelling, gripping watch is Dhulia’s excellent direction, the exceptional performances, the relentless pace of the gritty storytelling, and finally, the constant feeling of dread that pervades the narrative.
The story does not drop pace for even the slightest moment. And we often heave a sigh of relief when Arvind Shukla makes it out relatively unscathed from each of the dire situations he manages to land in; only to feel the dread return, as he faces off against yet another set of enemies baying for his blood.
Garmi also employs the novel idea of having a prominent character in the series as narrator, who unleashes epiphanies that add to the thrill of the story. Season 2, if green-lit, which we are certain it will be, promises to be even more relentless in pace and unbridled in action.
To sum it up, Garmi is a well-made crime drama, with performances that stay with you long after you’ve finished watching the show. The unnerving story of a good guy compelled to break bad keeps one hooked until the very end.
Music and Other Departments?
Siddharth Pandit and Dev Shergill’s music is very good, especially the edgy and excellent title track. Cinematographer Shailesh Aawasthi has superbly captured the essence of the story on camera. Editor Sourabh Prabhudesai puts in impeccable work to deliver a product that is crisp and taut.
Highlights?
The Performances of almost all the actors
The Superb Casting
The Excellent Direction
Technical Values
Production Values
Drawbacks?
Tad Simplistic
It’s nothing we’ve not seen before
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Garmi Series Review by Binged Bureau
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