Ali Abbas Zafar’s debut foray into the OTT streaming space has a strong and capable ensemble cast with Saif Ali Khan, Sunil Grover, Dimple Kapadia and Tigmanshu Dhulia in important roles, but the political drama fails to make a big impression on the audience’s mind. The nine-part web series streaming on Amazon Prime Video India is essentially a political potboiler with all the right elements, yet it fails to deliver anything new and exciting.
Right from the very start, Tandav cuts to the chase in portraying itself as a political chess game. The story has many parallel storylines with every character involved having their own intentions and involvement in the grander scheme of political ambitions.
It has a party that has been ruling for consecutive terms, with power-hungry leaders eyeing the top-brass chair and dreaming of ascension at any cost. There are also the loyal advisors, the people behind the scenes, who understand that the real winner works behind the throne.
The story also touches on the subject of student politics, delving into the lives of emerging, rebellious and charismatic student leaders delivering fiery speeches inside a national university that is reminiscent of recent incidents at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. The story of the web series and its portrayal strongly resemble the socio-political environment of the country, and the references are unmistakable.
From clear lines of Left and Right blocs drawn between parties and students rebelling for freedom, to youth seen as a challenge to the establishment, the web series tries to bring out the nuances of Indian politics on screen.
However, by trying to portray the quirks and innards of Indian politics, Tandav becomes predictable and routine, its plotlines looking like headlines from today’s news channels. Even with strong actors portraying strong characters, the story lets down the cast by being too relatable and predictable. The ensemble of Tandav’s cast is refreshing and promising. Khan as the unpleasantly ambitious political scion, Kapadia as his shrewd rival and Grover as his loyal right hand, are all great actors playing great characters.
The story starts with Dhulia playing the Prime Minister, with an undercurrent of power struggle with his son, played by Khan. The two have a strong relationship of father and son, but with the latter waiting for his chance to ascend to power, it is not a surprise that the Prime Minister dies early into the series, leaving a leadership void. What follows is a game of politics where every character is trying to seize as much power for itself as possible.
While the story should have been gripping, the only actors that stand out are Grover, Gauahar Khan and Sandhya Mridul. Khan, who enticed audiences in Sacred Games has missed the mark with this one, even though he has his moments of brilliance.
All in all, Tandav is only a good watch for die-hard fans of political dramas, or of the leading actors in the series, and do not mind a tiringly conventional storyline.
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