Tryst With Destiny review: These days reviewing a content fills us with dread. Lately, we have been watching some sub-par and unnecessary content on OTT platforms that don't deserve to be made. However, in last year and a half, SonyLIV has been able to satiate the hunger for good content with its many offerings from Undekhi to Scam 1992. So keeping our faith in their line-up, we watched Tryst With Destiny. Were we rewarded? Well, we would say we were equal parts impressed and bored. Tryst With Destiny: Jaideep Ahlawat, Amit Sial and Vineet Kumar’s Anthology Film To Release on SonyLIV on November 5! (Watch Video).

Tryst With Destiny is an anthology series revolving around Pt Jawaharlal Nehru's speech announcing India's Independence. The first episode is titled Fair and Fine. Mudiraj (Ashish Vidyarthi) has risen up from his humble beginnings as a chai-boy to an influential and rich tycoon but still couldn't escape colour discrimination. He decides to exact revenge in a way he thought would be right even when his family doesn't approve. So if you ever feel sympathy for him, the moment he puts across is cold and cunning plan to action, you disapprove of him instantly. That's the beauty of this short.

Watch the Trailer:

Although the director gets indulgent a bit with the shots, it doesn't lose its impact on you. This is also a perfect answer for the makers of Bala who just couldn't cast a dusky heroine and make the movie work. However, Tamil is lavishly used and without subtitles. That might be a deterrent. Just a thought: a plot on discrimination played by a character who is dark and South Indian... a coincidence? Jawaharlal Nehru's Tryst With Destiny Speech: Full Text of The Historic Independence Day Address by India's First Prime Minister.

The second episode is titled The River. A Dalit couple (Vineet Kumar and Kani Kusruti) from a village is subjected to inhuman torture due to their caste. The main characters don't utter a single word and it works more for its ambient sounds. But the imagery and background score say exactly what needs to be said and presented. A wonderful short that will make a true Indian ashamed of the country we live in.

The third short is titled One bhk. Things start getting mundane from here. It's a story about a traffic cop (Jaideep Ahlawat) in Mumbai who is dating a girl (Paulomi Ghosh) with big desires. He stoops to unimaginable lows for money to make her happy. It's a supreme quality upgrade for Pyar Ka Punchnama series but in itself, the short fails to impress.

The final one is called A Beast Within. A Government official (Geetanjali Thapar) along with her team is taking the a captured tigress with them but is stopped by a local (Amit Sial) who has his own motives. With Sherni being watched only recently, this episode doesn't really make any impact whatsoever.

The chapters are interconnected which is because it's a movie that has been separated in parts for the SonyLIV audience. Avinash Arun's cinematography is the biggest highlight of the series which is effective and consistent. Even when the stories go dull, the images don't stop having an affect on you. That's what stays with you much after the show is over.

Prashant Nair's biggest win is the ensemble cast. Everyone delivers and does so with such finesse that you would love to watch them more. Ashish Vidyarthi's silent anger, Vineet and Kanni's despair and tenderness, Jaideep Ahlawat's desperation and Amit Sial-Geetanjali Thapar's determination towards their goals... Just fantastic! Without these people, Tryst With Destiny would have fallen flat for being over-ambitious.

Yay!

- Supremely talented cast

- first two episodes

- Cinematography

- background score

Nay!

- last two episodes

Final Thoughts

Tryst With Destiny starts exceptionally well with its first two episodes and then it stops being so! Tryst With Destiny streams on SonyLIV.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2021 08:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).