Swastika Mukherjee

Cast : Mona Singh, Swastika Mukherjee, Shamita Shetty, Sharad Kelkar, Raima Sen

Directed by : Birsa Dasgupta

Producer : Namit Sharma

Editor : Sumit Chowdhory

So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows, our today’s pick is Black Widows, the latest Hindi web series on Zee 5. Let’s now see how it is.

Story :

Three close friends played by Shamita Shetty, Mona Singh, and Swastika Mukherjee plan and execute the murder of their respective husbands as all three are fed up with the torture their husbands have been giving them for years. But somehow cops get involved and there begin tense times of investigation for these ladies. In such a time, the entry of Raima Sen, who has a connection with one of their husband turns the story upside down. The rest of the story is as to what happens to these friends and do they escape the cops for the murder of their husbands?

What’s Good

The setup and story look quite interesting and the manner in which things are unleashed in the first two episodes are quite good. Mona Singh is the best of the lot as he is the one who makes some sense in this noted cast who ham to the next level. The production values of the show are good.

Sharad Kelker was good in his role and Mohan Kapur was amazing as an abusive husband. But the best part is Parambrata Chakrabarty who plays the cop. At least he makes us believe in the part that he plays. The BGM is good and so was the production design. Some domestic violence scenes have been shown well.

What’s Bad

One of the biggest drawbacks of the show is the pathetic narration. There s absolutely no seriousness in the show and this because of the director’s execution. Three wives killing their husbands and trying to escape the law looks good on paper but is showcased in a silly manner. Shamita Shetty makes a comeback and it is hard to understand how she even did a role like that. She hams to no extent and is loud in her role.

The logic goes for a toss and the key twists are also predictable. The characters have no weight at all in the show as the main leads have not been established well. The flow in the series is not proper and so many illogical scenes create a bad impact on a show. In a way, you can say that a very good story is spoilt by a bad direction.

Verdict :

On the whole, Black Widows is a series that has a good story but bad direction and over the top action spoils the fun completely. Except for the basis twist part, this series ends as a disappointment for the viewers. Skip this one.

123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Reviewed by 123telugu Team

Click Here For Telugu Review

Starring : Neeraj Kabi, Gul Panag, Jaideep Ahlawat, Abhishek Banerjee, Mairembam Ronaldo Singh, Swastika Mukherjee

Directed by : Avinash Arun & Prosit Roy

Producer(s) : Clean Slate Films, Anushka Sharma’s banner

Cinematography : Avinash Arun, Saurabh Goswami

So, continuing the series of reviewing movies and shows during the lockdown period, our today’s pick is the latest Hindi web series Paatal Lok. Produced by star heroine Anushka Sharma, this series is available on Amazon Prime.

What’s it about?

In the heat of Delhi traffic, four criminals get caught red-handed fleeing the city. The news comes in that this group landed in the city to kill a famous TV journalist Sanjeev Mehra(Neeraj Kabi). The Delhi police select inspector Hati Ram Choudary(Jaideep Ahlawat) to crack this case. But as the web series progresses, Hati Ram comes to know that some of the biggest heads in the country are involved in this case. How does he crack the case forms the rest of the story?

What’s good?

Paatal Lok has a solid script and that is the main strength of the web series. The manner in which the story unfolds with each episode is riveting and has been executed in the best way possible. The back story of each of the criminals is shown in a gruesome manner. The detailing that has gone into the writing is on another level as every nitty-gritty of logic and how the whole media and political game played is shown in a terrific manner.

Jaideep Ahlawat gives his career-best performance. His slang as the Delhi police and how he fights alone to crack the case, the actor has showcased it in a solid manner. Abhishek Banerjee as Haotda Tyagi was brutal in his role. Gul Panag did her house wife’s role well. The caste-based politics in UP have been showcased well. Ishwak Singh as Ansari is also amazing in the series.

The web series has the best production values and looks so realistic. The BGM, camerawork, and props used are so real and effective. The series has 10 episodes and every episode is filled with crime and suspense which keeps you hooked till the end.

What’s bad

The story is simple but the way it is unraveled is a bit complex. If you miss a few scenes or an episode it is very hard to understand what is going on in the story. Things should have been simplified a bit for the common man to understand the proceedings a bit more easily. There is too much gore and is surely not for family audience.

Final Word :

Overall, Paatal Lok is one of the best web series that has come out in recent times. The writing, setup, performances, and execution is top-notch. All those who have an eye for investigative thrillers will just love this series. Barring the slightly complex narration in a few episodes, Paatal Lok is a must-watch during this lockdown. Don’t Miss it.

Rating: 3.5/5

OTT Review : Black Widows – Hindi Series on Zee 5

Lockdown Review : Paatal Lok -Web Series on Amazon Prime