Review – Tandav – Starts well but fizzes away

Genre: Crime,Thriller,Action,Political drama
Created by: Ali Abbas Zafar
Story by: Gaurav Solanki
Directed by: Ali Abbas Zafar
Starring: Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, and Abbas Ali Zafar
Music by: Julius Packiam (BGM) A.R Rahman ( Dhakka Laga Bukka song)
Country of origin: India
Original language: Hindi
No. of seasons: 1
No. of episodes: 9
Executive producer: Bhaumik Gondaliya
Running time: 38–65 minutes
Production company: Offside Entertainment
Original network: Amazon Video
Original release: 15 January 2021 – present

So much pressure is being put on Tandav, the latest web series in which the BJP leaders are not at all happy. The series has some big names like Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, and Abbas Ali Zafar in charge of it. Read our review to find out if the series is really worth that hype.

Plot

The plot is simple and is based on a political family headed by Devaki Nanda(Thigmansh Dhulia). He is all set to become the new prime minister of India but his greedy son Samar(Saif Ali Khan) kills him and decides to take over the throne. Not knowing that his deed is caught by party head Anuradha(Dimple Kapadia), Samar unleashes a big game but falls prey to his own plot. How did he get into trouble and how he came out is the crux of Tandav.

Performances

Tandav is filled with crazy performances and makes for a shot only for its actors. Saif Ali Khan is all class as Samar. He brings his evil side so naturally and he is naive and posh at the same time. Dimple Kapadia plays the negative role to perfection and brings her cute face in front and is crazy with her negative plans. Comedian Sunil Grover goes 360 and packs a big punch and shows what he is capable of. His negative and serious action is to die for. Gauhar Khan also gets a solid role and so do the main people in the plot. It is the performances that bring light to Tandav.

Analysis

Tandav has so many real life people’s stories based on it. Zeeshan Siddique plays Kanniah Lal who created a stir in Delhi with his speeches. The series has superb production values as the show is shot in Saif’s own Pataudi palace. Due to this, the look and field of Tandav get a realistic touch.

The starting episodes are superb with so much drama in them as the premise is set so well. The political game of power and how politicians go to any extent is just solid. The show gets slow as the scenes of students are abundant and could have been avoided.

There are a few predictable scenes from the middle episodes and this is where things go for a letdown. The makers have kept the major suspense for the next season. But in a nutshell, what starts off as an engaging political drama shrugs down to a predictable tale of power.