Tandav Review: A Diabolical Saif Ali Khan Leads a Brilliant Cast in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Gutsy, if Uneven, OTT Debut Series (LatestLY Exclusive)

Tandav Review: After Pataal Lok, Amazon Prime Video just got another show that is once again guaranteed to earn the ire of the right-wingers and the admiration of the liberal-minded. Ali Abbas Zafar, the director of blockbusters like Ek Tha Tiger franchise and Gunday, enters the OTT space with Tandav and ends up giving his most provocative work to date. With the themes he is tackling in Tandav and the excellent cast he has roped in, Zafar has his job half done, while his steady handling of the proceedings takes care of the rest. Saif Ali Khan's Role Inspired From Rahul Gandhi and Zeeshan Ayyub To Play Kanhaiya Kumar in 'Tandav'?

Tandav sees two facets of the youth in India through a political spectrum. The dashing but diabolical Samar Pratap Singh (Saif Ali Khan), the most popular politician in the country's biggest political party JLD, represents one facet - the symbol of dynastic politics, who is tired of how his seniors are tackling power-play with their narrow-minded attitude. Especially towards his own father, Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia), who is about to have his new term as India's Prime Minister. A turn that Samar isn't happy about as he feels he deserves the position having won the votes with his diligence.

Samar is an interesting amalgamation of real-life influences. While I am not stating out the inspirations, but I won't blame you if you can see a certain dynast from India's oldest party to the most popular politician of India to a former young UP CM reflecting in his nature. As the show progresses, he spouts about 'Chanakya-niti' and talks about wanting to be a king-maker, rather than be the king, and I chuckled about the new 'inspiration'.

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Zafar and writer Gaurav Solanki adds a sort of Shakespearean political play in his storyline, as he and his lady Macbeth, Ayesha (Sarah Jane Dias) set about to gain more power, with enough help from his faithful aide Gurpal (Sunil Grover). Even it means involving patricide. But his path to the PM's seat faces even more challenges, and he is forced to change priorities and ambitions to fend off other foes.

On the other side of youth representation is Shiva (Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub), who epitomises the idealistic values that we once believed in. A student of VNU (heh, heh), Shiva gains the nation's attention when he and his fellow students bring the media's attention to a farmer's agitation (oh my!) to save a fellow student (a Muslim) from illegal confinement. A UPSC aspirant with leftist ideologies, Shiva is pushed into college politics, but is oblivious of the fact that he is being readied for a bigger political drama. As Samar puts it, it doesn't take much time for 'left' to go 'right'; just put a mirror in front of the person.

Samar and Shiva are not the only players for us to care in this Machiavellian powerplay. There is Anuradha Kishore (Dimple Kapadia), a senior JLD member who is also Devki Nandan's lover and wants a Defense Ministry post for her wayward son (Paresh Pahuja), while having her own secret goals. Like Samar has Gurpal, Anuradha has Maithili (Gauahar Khan), her devoted Woman Friday. Another candidate vying for the PM post is Gopal Das Munshi (Kumud Mishra).

Then there is Sana (Kritika Kamra), Shiva's fellow VNU colleague, who has her own baggage that refuses to leave her. She is also in a clandestine affair with her devious professor Jigar (Dino Morea) that pushes her deeper into her moral conundrum. Jigar is separated from his wife, Sandhya (Sandhya Mridul), fellow DNU professor, who is now in a relationship with Kailash Kumar (Anup Sonii), a JLD politician who had been often ridiculed for his caste-identity. Plus, there is a mystery person who knows Samar's secret.

Each of them have their role to play in this desi Game of Thrones - either they are getting manipulated or are the one who are doing the manipulation. Each become the pawn in the chessboard, as we wait to see who falls first so that the king can be protected. This interesting assortment of flawed characters is what makes Tandav a riveting watch, even if it is predictable at times.

Writer Gaurav Solanki perhaps had an easier job setting up the whole game, as all he needed to do is knit up the headlines that have been ruling on media. From farmer protests to JNU to minority attacks, each burning issue manages to find their way to inspire the narrative that isn't afraid to take digs at the vicious right politics and the brittle left ideologies. There is a downside to this treatment - in trying to push every topical controversy, the actual plotlines takes a backseat at times.

Tandav also smartly uses AR Rahman's popular Yuva anthem at opportune moments, while secretly rousing our own anguish at the pitiable state of politics. Tandav Song Dhakka Laga Bukka: AR Rahman’s Song From The Film Yuva Now Becomes An Youth Anthem For Saif Ali Khan’s Web Series!

Things get slack in the middle, but gets better towards the last couple of episodes, as Samar and Gurpal up the ante of their manipulation over others. Towards the end of the first season, we realise the series was never about the man who sits on the throne, but about the one who arranges for the person to be seated there. And that, idealism might be going towards extinction.

While the ideas it spout are fine, where Tandav feels somewhat of a let-down is in its heavy-handed treatment of certain subplots and character decisions. It takes some time to really get going, and still leaves out some crucial arcs in the cold. Like, what's with the whole mystery caller subplot which never gets any proper answer? Some of the characters are also not well-etched, like Ayesha, for example. I am not sure what she is benefiting from her husband's play, as we only get to see her when Samar is around. Despite she bringing her own malevolent designs.

Still, all the actors are well-cast in their roles, with a suave Saif Ali Khan leading the show in yet another impressive negative role. Samar is what you get if you take away the boorishness of Langda Tyagi and make him more suave and powerful, and the actor blends well with the setting instead of over-powering it with his star-power. Then there is the always-excellent Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, who breathes fire as the idealistic Shiva, and providing an antithetical foil to a selfish Samar.

Sunil Grover, in a rare negative turn, steals the show as the poker-faced, powerful henchman. Kritika Kamra excels as the guilt-ridden Sana. I wished that Dimple Kapadia had gotten more footage, she was incredible in every scene she appears. Sarah Jane Dias, Kumud Mishra, Anup Sonii, Gauahar Khan, Dino Morea, Sandhya Mridul, Tigmanshu Dhulia are all wonderful in their roles, which can also be said for the actors who play Shiva's fellow students.

Yay!

- The Cast

- A Better Second Half

Nay!

- The Slack Middle Portions

- Very Uneven in Tone

Final Thoughts

While it may be nowhere in the league of, say, House of Cards or even Pataal Lok, Tandav is Ali Abbas Zafar's boldest and strongest offering to date. The web-series captivates you with its assorted, flawed characters, dubious power-plays and (occasionally, not so) sly references to real-life political drama. All nine episodes of Tandav is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 15, 2021 12:35 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).