The clash between Indian classical music and contemporary popular music is an evergreen subject of debate, contemplation and fables. It is not a story of music alone; it a tale of changing generations and societal mores.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #BandishBandits, streaming on #AmazonPrimeVideo, based on this theme. Starring #NaseeruddinShah, the ten-episode series is directed by #AnandTiwari and features and ensemble cast comprising #RajeshTailang, #SheebaChaddha, #AtulKulkarni, #RitwikBhowmick and #ShreyaChaudhury. The concept is novel – it starts off with the clash between the traditional and the new; as one of the characters says, “You have only ten seconds to catch the attention of the millennial” and revs up a romance between the proverbial opposites. Along the way, the story moves sideways into varied themes – pursuit of one’s passion versus economics of life, rivalry between generations and the manipulations, trials and tribulations within the family, commercialisation of music, deceit charade and drama. The sheer frequency with which each episode ends on a climax reminds you of the classic soap opera on popular television. What stands out though is the unchanging refrain of Hindustani classical music, rendered by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy.
1. #NaseeruddinShah is brilliant in his portrayal of Sangeet Samrat Rathod of a gharana set in Jodhpur. He is addressed by his own family as ‘Panditji’. Watching him emote you are enthralled to see how silence, the gaze of the eyes and minimal dialogues can become more powerful than any dialogue. His protégé Radhe (#RitwickBhowmick) is his own grandson who is eagerly looking forward to the ‘ganda bandhan’ ceremony when Panditji ties the sacred thread on his wrist. Enter the effervescent Tamanna (#ShreyaChaudhury) of the blue hair strands and her brand of studio mixed music and the stage is set for a clash of ideals and values.
2. The plot becomes deeper when you discover that the Pandit’s sons Rajendra (#RajeshTailang) and #Devendra (#AmitMishra) have given up their music ambitions and care fighting their own battles. Midway through the series, the plot unravels an abandoned family and the entry of a son (#AtulKularni) who has his own dreams for his musical career. Along the way, there is a music album with a masked super-hero narrative, a dramatic ‘shuddhikaran’ ritual and the discovery of a talented wife who has sacrificed her career.
3. The light and breezy touch to the romance between two unusual and different individuals sets up a cozy intrigue; I wish they had eschewed the generous sprinkling of cuss words. I think the best parts of the series are the focus on the unbridled joy of music; the moment the writers try to push the boundaries of manufactured tension and commonplace thrills is when #BandishBandits slips into mediocrity.
4. The writing and characterisation are weak. The sub-plot of the mystery woman and the marriage proposal make no sense in the longer arc. Most of the characters do not get their due and the surfeit of loose ends is frustrating in patches.
5. #KunalRoyKapoor plays the annoying city dude as Tamanna’s producer and is very artificial as a character but his dialogues are hilarious.
#BandishBandits. Interesting name. Novel Plot. Naseer. Clash of the east and the west. Jodhpur and the majestic locales. Fresh new faces. All adding up to a refreshing new show. Some deft writing, tighter editing and a little less focus on creating climax moments could have taken it up a couple of notches. I must say that I enjoyed watching the show although am wary of season 2 which is surely on its way!
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