Aarya
Cast: Sushmita Sen, Chandrachur Singh, Sikander Kher, Namit Das,
Created by: Ram Madhvani
“Aarya” starts with a number of advantages. It marks the return of Sushmita Sen, a fact that has helped the show pump up some hype in recent weeks. Second, proven core content is on hand. The show is based on the Dutch series “Penoza”, which ran for no less than five seasons and which already inspired an American rerun, “Red Widow”.
However, both advantages have a catch. It’s always been the challenge of turning the uber-glamor of Sushmita Sen – still India’s first Miss Universe in the minds of most – into a protagonist that fits the scope of a web series (it’s a challenge that her Bollywood- directors usually never tried to tackle, so she often saw the ‘other heroine’ in projects with two heroines).
As for the second aspect, what worked in Dutch does not necessarily work for a ‘desi’ visit.
It’s clear from the start that writer-creator Ram Madhvani’s primary work over nine episodes has been in setting up a marketable author-backed showcase to emphasize the Sushmita factor, with its Native American-imported plot.
Sushmita is Aarya Sareen, alpha mother of three, and she hangs upside down and defies gravity while performing a complex inversion workout, when we first meet her. The scene is perhaps symbolic, meant to tell us how ‘in control’ she can be, when her world is turned upside down. Which actually doesn’t take long. Under the veneer of a happy family, where Aarya wants to give her children a normal childhood, we soon learn that the Sareens are not “normal” people. The regal lifestyle is more than meets the eye thanks to the intercourse.
Aarya’s husband Tej (Chandrachur Singh) and his partners are drug mafia and run their business under the guise of a pharmaceutical company.
The teleplay is meant to build its storyline gradually over the episodes – all too gradually one might think, after the opening episode gives the show a dramatic plot-pusher, not to be revealed to shield spoilers. However, that momentum is wasted as Madhvani’s story tries to accommodate too many subplots for too many characters. The average running time of each of the nine episodes ranges from approximately 45 to 55 minutes. You wish Madhvani and his co-directors (Sandeep Modi and Vinod Rawat) had stayed to the point and limited the show to maybe five episodes of 30 minutes each with sharper editing.
Pace isn’t the only problem. Despite the story being based on something as promising as a drug-trafficking thriller and the deception that ensues, “Aarya” can’t boast of many authentic, exciting moments.
The most disappointing aspect is what the entire series ultimately opts for, for a ‘storyline’. Without spoiling the plot, for all its intriguing premise, this is a hackneyed tale of cops and mafia on the hunt for a USB stick that contains — er — secrets that could bring down the drug empire. It reminds you of those B-flicks of yesteryear. Then they all hunted for a little black diary of ‘kachha-chittha’. These days, it seems that bad guys keep their black deeds documented in black pen drives.
From trailer and previews, you would have the broad idea that circumstances will force housewife Aarya to take over her husband’s trade. But when that momentous event happens, there’s absolutely no spark — except for the bit of shimmy swag Sushmita exudes as she makes her way to her husband’s chair, set in the background by retro Bollywood score.
In fact, that completes the whole show. It’s a lazy drama that’s mostly bolstered by Sushmita’s on-screen presence, as well as the rest of the cast. Sushmita fans won’t be disappointed, though. After a decade of absence from the Bollywood screen (five years if you consider that she made a brilliant Bengali arthouse film “Nirbaak” in between), the actress returns to prove that she has lost none of her sharpness. Be it the doting mother or the cold avenger, Sushmita’s Aarya Sareen is a balanced and believable act.
Two other actors who especially stand out are Jayant Kripalani and Maya Sarao. Kripalani, who also returns to the screen after a break, is Aarya’s father Zorawar, with a deceptively pleasant disposition that he manages effortlessly. Maya Sarao is Maya, Aarya’s close friend and the wife of one of Tej’s partners, Jawahar (Namit Das). While Maya is really a secondary character, she gets her moments and lets Sarao score.
Most of the others in the cast are adequate.
“Aarya” leaves the space open for an obvious season two, judging by the final scene. For a few more strains, we hope Madhvani and his company serve better next time.
Rating: 2.5/5