A stumbling melody
A series focusing on the contrast between classical and pop music, Bandish Bandits, released on the 4th of August has turned out to be a unique and refreshing show, that people didn’t know they wanted. Starring some fresh faces in the lead roles and some decorated veterans as side characters, the show looked like a pretty solid offering from Amazon Prime Video. To be honest, I suspected that this show wasn't targeted towards me or was even made for me upon viewing the trailers and promotional material that came out for it. I thought it is one of those corny dramas made for teenagers, filled with dance numbers, extravagant scenery, and a sensationalized love story. I must admit I was thoroughly proven wrong in the best way. The show does have its fair share of problems which I will discuss later but, considering my expectations, I was pleasantly surprised.
What is it about?
Radhe is an Indian classical singer in training at the Jodhpur Gharana of music under the tutelage of his Grandfather, Pandit Radhemohan Rathod. His grandfather is famous in all of Jodhpur as the Sangeet Samrat, a title bestowed upon him by the royal family. Radhe idolizes his grandfather and wants to become like him someday. Tamanna on the other is the complete opposite. A pop star, born and raised in Mumbai, loved and revered all over the country. In the opening episode, we find out that she has recently come under some heat from her music label and is to deliver a smashing, viral hit, or else her contract will be terminated. On her journey to find inspiration, she runs into the simple Radhe and gets captivated by his singing. Pursuing him to do a song with her, Radhe agrees, but for his own reasons. Together they embark on a journey of self-discovery to see whether opposites attract for the long haul.
How's the story?
I was not a fan of the first 2 or 3 episodes, to put it bluntly. The story starts off with dialogues filled with exposition to establish the characters; the laziest trick in the book. A conversation between Radhe and his best friend (since childhood mind you) turns into a history lesson about Radhe’s grandfather as he tells his friend about his hopes and aspiration of becoming the Sangeet Samrat. Being a childhood best friend, he should know all of this already, but the writers decided to go the illogical route, basically feeding us all the information instead of showing. The whole thing just came off as super forced and unnatural. Even the character seemed one-note and uninteresting in the initial showings. But as the story goes through its gears and you start spending a little more time with the characters, getting to know them, understanding the world they are trying to build here, the series gets a whole lot better.
If you are familiar with Anand Tiwari’s work, then you can pretty much guess how the writing is gonna be in this show. Having previously directed a web series like 'Official Chukiyagiri', Tiwari utilizes over the top characters and campy dialogues to give his world a certain charm. As is the case here, the campy dialogues give the series a heart and differentiate it from other shows. However, there are certain scenes where the campiness creeps into cringe territory (looking at you masked man). But those moments are few and far between and don't detract from the storyline much.
The love story was a mixed bag, sometimes it really worked, and other times it just didn’t. Mostly due to the fact that the story is not properly balanced between the lead characters. Radhe’s story is much more fleshed out and compelling than Tammana’s. The show doesn’t give you the time to build an equal amount of understanding and kinship with both of them. Without spoiling anything, I feel it is there by design, but the story slightly suffers because of it.
The best part of the story was definitely Radhe’s side of affairs because the writers paid more attention to it. The pristine world of Indian Classical music is deeply explored and given the due respect that it deserves. The story of Radhe finding his own voice, clashing with the ‘my way or the highway’ ideology of his grandfather was compelling to watch. Naturally, the subject of art vs commercialism and natural vs artificial comes up as a welcome topic of discussion. Radhe is torn between two worlds, his own and the world that Tamana introduces him to. This dilemma forces him to make certain choices which he may or may not regret. His story culminates in an emotionally charged finale which made me realize just how invested I had gotten in this character. I just wish they could’ve given his counterpart the same treatment.
The plot does have a lot of pacing issues and lacks focus when it comes down to the main theme. It felt like the makers desperately wanted to cram as many subplots as they could in this single season. For example, a love triangle is introduced in the middle of the season which is honestly just adding length to the show and has little to absolutely no impact in the grand scheme of things. Certain plot points are introduced and are forgotten about, only to be brought back way later, when you had almost forgotten about them. That is why a lot of the show’s scenes end up feeling contrived and unnecessary. The show could’ve been limited to a 6 episode season, keeping it crisp and concise.
How are the performances?
The main leads of the show are newcomers Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhry who fit really well in their roles and their performances are solid. Though their “off and on” relationship had me conflicted whether to root for them as a couple or not, the dynamic chemistry between the two cannot be denied. However, If I had to pick the better actor between the two of them, it would have to be Ritwik. The character’s likeability only increased with Rithwik’s performance as a humble but motivated singer, striving to perfect his craft. Shreya Chaudhry’s Tamanna, while fiery and confident, somehow comes off as obnoxious. I feel she got sidelined by the end, as the focus shifted towards the more interesting storyline.
The real strength of the show as far as the performances are concerned definitely comes from the illustrious host of side characters. Sheeba Chadda dons the role of Mohini, Radhe’s affectionate mother, and she is as amazing at it. Though this is probably the 100th time I am seeing her playing the mother of a lead character, she manages to impress me with her nuanced acting and the ability to bring something new with each of her performances over the years. Rajesh Tailang delivers an equally compelling performance as Radhe’s Father and Mohin’s husband.
Words are not enough to explain how good Naseeruddin Shah is in this show as the crusty custodian of his ‘Gharana’, demanding absolute discipline from his pupil, Radhe. It is often difficult for iconic actors such as Shah to differentiate between themselves and their characters. But throughout the series, I never thought of him as the “actor” Naseeruddin Shah, to me he was the stern Pandit Ji, from the very first scene to the very last.
Atul Kulkarni, though appearing late in the series, helps in adding a whole new dimension to it and keeps things interesting as the famous singer Digvijay. Every time he came on the screen, he had your full attention.
According to IMD; Atul Kulkarni and Rajesh Tailang along with the director Anand Tiwari have all been students of Nassiruddin Shah in the past
Now getting onto the underappreciated gems of characters I enjoyed the most in this show. Kunal Roy Kapoor as Tamanna’s manager, Arghya. With his witty one-liners and charismatic presence, he made every second of every scene he was in entertaining.
Rahul Kumar as Radhe’s jugaadu best friend, Kabir, was an absolute show-stealer. His dialogue delivery and hilarious comebacks were enough to leave me in stitches on a couple of occasions. His no-nonsense personality was the perfect counter for Radhe’s usual melancholic demeanor.
Amit Mistry surprised me with his emotion heavy performance as Devendra, Radhe’s supposedly good for nothing uncle. He shines through his acting in two particular scenes (which I won’t mention due to spoilers) and his innocent delivery makes it all the more impressive.
How's the music?
Arguably the best aspect of the show for me was the soundtrack composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. I was not a huge fan of the fusion tracks created for the series, but the Indian classical music featured here is truly spellbinding. Perfectly capturing the essence of the rich culture and rightfully portraying the artists as musical geniuses. Characters bursting into a complex raag, surfing through the highs and lows of the song in a single breath, would completely draw me into the story and the emotion. You really get the sense that these people must’ve worked hard every single day of their lives to get to this point of singing excellence. Most of the songs are not sung by the actors but are extremely well-acted and performed. You get to see the expression, the hand gestures, and the visible exhaustion on their face as they take on a lengthy alaap. The musical sequences are extremely well done, especially in the final episode.
How is the Aesthetic?
Shot on location in the city of Jodhpur, the series really brings out the history and the traditional heritage behind the classical music. The blue city is portrayed beautifully, creating a regal world of its own. The sets and costumes are filled with intricate details, further heightening the majestic setting. You can tell that no expense was spared in order to make it a high-quality production.
Conclusion
Not everyone who watches this show will walk away liking it. The plot inconsistencies, cheesy dialogues, and unnecessary subplots definitely bog it down a lot. But, despite all that the show does succeed in delivering a compelling plot and likable characters which is the most important thing out of all in my mind. Along with an excellent soundtrack with the choicest of Indian classical numbers to boot. The aesthetics are great and the performances are fantastic across the board. If you are looking for something new to binge on, Bandish Bandits might just be the thing for you. Just remember to keep an open mind while going into it.
You can also check out my review/explantation of another Prime exclusive, Pataal Lok by clicking here.
Bandish Bandits Trailer:
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