R ANDOM LONG W INDED THRILLER

BRe ATHe: iNTO THe SHADOWS (Amazon Prime)

S TARRi NG: Abhishek Bachchan, Amit Sadh, Nithya Menen, Ivana Kaur, Saiyami Kher

DiReCTOR: Mayank Sharma

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In India, where the concept of limited series doesn't seem to find favour among most digital producers, Breathe: Into The Shadows is the latest instance of a story that overstays its necessity.

Unfortunately, Abhishek Bachchan's OTT debut gets caught in the very tangles it tries setting up in a bid to create suspense drama. If you are willing to suspend logic, the series builds up intrigue close to the halfway mark. And then, as the narrative moves along, you realise what’s basically wrong here: it is too longwinded to be a thriller.

In this series of 12 episodes with an average runtime of around 45 minutes each, Bachchan Junior continues the search for a magic role that might catapult him back to the spotlight. He plays Dr. Avinash Sabharwal, a successful psychiatrist whose happy family picture completes itself with wife Abha (Nithya Menen) and daughter Siya (Ivana Kaur).

The picture is shattered early on, when Siya is kidnapped. The kidnapper has a weird demand - he wants Avinash to commit a series of murders.

Soon Avinash realises the killings he is forced to commit follow a pattern, and adhere to a notion of good and evil that draws from mythology. His targets seem to be picked in accordance to the ten vices that Raavan's ten heads represent: anger, lust, fear, ego, attachment, regret, hatred, jealousy, greed and insensitivity.

It's not David Fincher's Se7en exactly, but on paper Breathe must have seemed like an unusual concept. It is a thriller soaked in blood and brutality, with the core concept of evil drawn from one of the most fascinating mythical villains anywhere. Avinash himself is a complex character, you discover, and his layered persona has a direct bearing with the way the plot will progress.

Yet it never quite comes together to set up an appealing entirety. Rather, creator Mayank Sharma and his co- screenwriters (Bhavani Iyer and Vikram Tuli) seem to be making up a story as the show moves, at random piling up any sort of situation that helps maintain a tone of sensationalism.

The impact is absurd, losing your attention with every passing minute after a while as the episodes roll.

After season one was set in Mumbai, the series now moves to Delhi-NCR and so do Mumbai cops Inspector Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh) and his sidekick, Sub Inspector Prakash

Ghosh is no archetypal cop hero. He doesn't spew fiery lines or throw haughty attitude. He is mild-mannered, hums Hemant Kumar and RD Burman, doesn't give a damn about the odd insult coming his way. He just wants to get his job done. He bears a sense of assuredness about the power that comes with his uniform and rank, and yet isn't too keen to flaunt it.

Surya Kumar's Rinku on the other hand wears his power on his sleeve, typified by the sort of machismo that would seem obsolete in a more civilised world that is far removed from the turf where he reigns, where wealth and feudalism blatantly tower above all.

Fathoming these two individuals becomes important to understand the law and lawlessness that define the crux of this story, beyond the obvious plot.

Sure, there are the flaws. Harsh Chhaya in the key role of Papaji, despite going full steam with histrionics, surprisingly ends up rendering a ham show. He clearly overacts in his bid to become the ever-smiling (sneering?), hard-cussing patriarch.

The show itself has moments of weak writing that stand out sorely. A heroic turn in the end by the young bride Teji (Anchal Singh) could seem too filmi to be true. A camera team that lands from the city to film the wedding becomes vital to plot progression at one point, before being rendered superfluous to the storyline. Also, the pace slows down in the middle episodes. Still, Undekhi ends on a high note, leaving enough sparks to make us wait with anticipation for season two. There is ample exciting story still left to be told here.

Vinayak Chakravorty

Kamble (Hrishikesh Joshi). Like almost everything else in the storyline, the notion defies logic why the pair of Mumbai cops must be shifted to Delhi - perhaps because Sadh and Joshi's presence lets the makers underline the fact that this story is a part of the Breathe franchise.

Still, Sadh is sure as ever, essentially rehashing the Kabir Sawant prototype with which he impressed in season one. He is not a central protagonist in these stories yet, when it comes to holding together the series as a whole, the character matters the most.

Abhishek Bachchan makes the most of a role that was imagined with a degree of ambition but loses its way owing to unimaginative writing. He sets up believable chemistry as Avinash Sabharwal the shrink with Nithya Menen's Abha. Saiyami Kher as the sex worker Shirley and Shruti Bapna as the celebrated young author Natasha Garewal make a mark - at least, as much as the weak writing allows them to.

Paatal Lok, Panchayat, Inside Edge and Mirzapur gave the impression Amazon Prime has cracked it, while serving good ‘desi’ stuff on OTT. Breathe: Into The Shadows busts the notion.

Vinayak Chakravorty

July 2020

BY MINAL KHONA

Minal Khona has been reading tarot cards for the last two decades. She uses her intuition and connect with the cards mostly to help people.

AR I E S March 21 - April 19

TAU R US April 20 - May 20

The fiery and action-oriented Aries could find themselves influenced by dreamy Pisceans this month. It only means you might be more interested in the arts or creative pursuits. You are looking to synergise all the components of your life, as work makes you feel restrained though money for work already done will come your way. In a confrontation, you might find it hard to be assertive. Expect problems with your legs and knees if unwell. Luck is on your side.

All aces stand for new beginnings, and the ace of swords that Taureans have picked could indicate a paradigm shift in how you think. A new love affair could sweep you off your feet. You look for success at work and will not settle for less. A marriage could go downhill. There could be some stress in the family. You make decisions that will be less confrontational. A friend brings good luck and a new direction in your career is foretold.