Breathe: Into The Shadows Season 2 Review: Naveen Kasturia's Performance Saves This Abhishek Bachchan-Amit Sadh Series From Falling Apart (latestLY Exclusive)

Breathe: Into The Shadows Season 2 Review: The spinoff of Amazon Prime's one of the first India originals, Breathe Into The Shadows returns for a second stint. Certain main actors are returning from the previous season, like Abhishek Bachchan, Nithya Menen, Amit Sadh and Saiyami Kher. Well, this season is purely for those who were seeking answers to some crucial questions in the first season and that's it. Breathe Into the Shadows Review: Amit Sadh Steals the Show From Abhishek Bachchan in This Engaging but Uneven Thriller Series.

Avinash (Abhishek Bachchan) is getting treated for his multiple personality disorder and the treatment has kept J dormant for three years. But then the alter ego resurfaces, unknown even to the doctor when Avinash's wife Abha (Nithya Menen) and their daughter Siya visit him at the asylum. J now tasks Abha to carry out his Ravan rampage or Avinash pays for her disobedience. Abha relents which becomes a perfect loophole for a bipolar disorder-afflicted fan of J, Victor (Naveen Kasturia) to force Avinash to finish his murder madness. Cop Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh) is also back and is doing the obvious - tailing J/Avinash.

There are very few pluses in this season. That's because every hint of a better arc is doused in oft-seen cliches. One of the targeted victims is a reformed man now who is living in guilt. It's tough for Avi to give in to the hate he once felt for him. This is a superb premise to explore as it humanises a perpetrator, which means repentance is also a human virtue. Or the scene where the line between Avinash and J blurs. Avi kills a man consumed by his hate for him and realises that J is becoming more pronounced. These short moments uplift the experience.

But unfortunately, none of these scenes are given any weightage. Mayank Sharma, the director, just throws a customary glance at these key transformations. Even the montage where people assuming to be the next target, start thronging the police station for protection is used as a passing reference.  In the last season, Saiyami Kher's character at the end made us believe she would be his eyes on the outside world while Avi gets treated. But she is relegated to just someone doing things to save her family.

Rather than focusing on key moments, the season veers towards cliched plots of cheating wife, troubled father-son relationships and more. What's weirder and perhaps detrimental here is that even when a few twists are unpredictable, you are too bored to get excited about them.  Breathe Into the Shadows Spoilers: 11 Questions That Bothered Us About Abhishek Bachchan, Nitya Menen and Amit Sadh’s Web-Series

Watch the trailer of Breathe: Into The Shadows Season 2 trailer

Performances are effective. Abhishek Bachchan as both Avinash and J is good. Nithya Menen as the wife is perfect casting. Her vulnerability is her asset even when she is projecting a strong woman vibe. But it is Naveen Kasturia who steals the show as Viktor. His unabashed and delusional way of looking at the murders will make you cringe. Amit Sadh has just reprised his role from the last season adding no new flavour to it.

Yay!

-Naveen Kasturia

-Humanising a few moments

Nay!

-Not exploring these moments

Final Thoughts:

Breathe: Into The Shadows season 2 should have been a worthy closure to this Ravan killer tale but ends up being a disinterested finish. Breathe: Into The Shadows season 2 streams on Amazon Prime.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 10, 2022 12:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).