What Is the Story About?
There is a secret society that comes across a hidden treasure belonging to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. There is a man called Rajeev who is leading the quest to protect it from falling into wrong hands. He ultimately becomes the chief of the Shiledars. According to primitive warfare, Shiledaars are the swordsmen soldiers who ride a horse. Naturally, they are a little more elite than a common soldier and so is the story of these Shiledaars too. They are in the 21st century but they guard the treasure of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj just like a soldier in the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Performances?
Performance is the major highlight of The Secret of the Shiledars. There was a time when Rajeev Khandelwal used to be a very active actor but after a long, long time we are seeing him in something that is refreshing and cool.
Ashish Vidyarthi is a very polished performer and he is truly good at his craft. Gaurav Amlani and Sai Tamhankar also delivered a good performance as the companions of Rajeev’s character. Their characters have some fun dimensions to them, which doesn’t let the overall experience become boring.
Analysis
We have seen the work of director Aditya Sarpotdar last year in Munjya. He weaved the film in a manner that earned more than 100 crores at the box office despite having no big face. So, he knows how to bring a story that is highly engaging for the audiences. This story is about a group of people who are on a hunt for the treasure while saving it from the descendants of the Vijaynagar Empire.
While researching, we came to know that the series is based on a Marathi novel called Pratipaschandra and it is fairly popular among the Marathi people. It has elements of modern day with history and fantasy.
In the beginning of the review, we talked about who a Shiledaar is. Actually, the protagonist belongs to the descendants of the Shiledaars and it is his duty to safeguard the treasure. But there are challenges and the element of fantasy helps the protagonists to easily get past most of them. It is as if the solution was waiting for them even before the problem arrived.
Just like we imagined, this is much like a desi Indiana Jones with a lot of fiction cocktailed with history.
The characterisation inside the novel makes the job of screenplay much easier. There is a serious protagonist; there is a comic relief sidekick and a mysterious woman too. All these things that were so common in the early 2000s of Bollywood still seem fresh in The Secret of the Shiledars. Not because it is some kind of magical formula but simply because the regular OTT stuff is filled with violence and grit.
Music and Other Departments?
The music serves its purpose. It builds tension when needed but it doesn’t arrest your attention. It simply comes and goes without demanding much of your attention.
However, there are some problems with the VFX. Yes, the director did a wonderful job in Munjya but here the VFX doesn’t look very convincing. It is too fantastical, almost like a children’s series. If they had worked on that element, it could be really good.
Highlights?
Good performances.
Amalgamation of history and fantasy.
Drawbacks?
Very slow start.
Too many liberties in co-incidents.
VFX could have been better.
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
The Secret of the Shiledars Web Series Review by Binged Bureau