SEASON 3
WHAT WORKS :
1. One of the key positives of this show has always been that it's paced very well, and that continues to be a strong point of the show. The end of every episode takes you by surprise because of how engaging the show is.
2. The addition of Aamir Bashir and Sapna Pabbi to the cast of this show was a great decision in the second season, and it continues to pay off this season as well as both actors have performed very well. This season the story delves deeper into the life of these two characters, which makes for a great watch. Aamir Bashir as Bhaisaab plays the tough business tycoon and an emotional, heartbroken and vulnerable father and brother with equal ease and full conviction. Goes without saying that Aamir Bashir is quite outstanding in the show.
3. Dalip Tahil's cameo was quite solid in the show. I don't know if he will be there in the next season or not but he certainly added a lot of weight to this season with his powerful performance.
4. The show is inspired by real life events and this season incorporated the Virat Kohli - Rohit Sharma rivalry through Vayu Raghavan and Rohit Shanbagh (played by Akshay Oberoi), and that is always an interesting watch because truth often comes out in the form of a fictionalized story.
5. Cricket matches look very good. Just like the previous two seasons, this season too every match gives you the feel of an actual match, and for that the creators need to be praised.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK :
1. This season lacks the energy of last season. Last season was fired up by Vayu Raghavan (Tanuj Virwani) and Rohini Raghavan's (Sayani Gupta) stellar acts, but in this season both of them remained quite understated. In fact, unlike the first two seasons, both actors didn't have a lot to do this season.
2. The absence of Angad Bedi and Siddhant Chaturvedi was definitely felt. It's not quite clear why they opted out of the show, but it's quite unfortunate to lose two key characters, especially Siddhant Chaturvedi, whose arc as Prashant Kanaujia was quite exceptional. Perhaps he finds himself too big for this show, considering he's doing movies now, but one must never forget their roots.
3. There's only so much that you can do with an idea. The creators managed to surprise the viewers with the cricket matches in the first two seasons, but in this season one could clearly see all the twists and turns beforehand. The surprise element went missing this season.
4. Richa Chadha as Zarina Malik continues to be a misfit in the show. She has definitely improved her acting and dialogue delivery, but one can't deny that this role required a younger and more glamourous actress.
5. Sidhant Gupta's (as Imaad Akbar) addition to the cast didn't quite add anything to the show. He wears the same expression throughout the season and all his scenes were quite dull and predictable. It looks like he has been given the track of Siddhant Chanturvedi (as Prashant Kanaujia), everything that happened to Prashant was happening to Imaad as well, on top of that Rohini (Sayani Gupta) started taking a romantic interest in him. Why repeat the storyline ? It felt like watching the Season 1 story with a different actor. A key difference was that Siddhant Chaturvedi was a better actor and Prashant Kanaujia's story had more heart, believability and as a result had a bigger impact on the audience.
6. I was really happy to see Shivani Tanksale in this season, and was hoping to see her role develop into something big, but that didn't happen. The writers almost forgot about her in the later part of the show.
7. They shouldn't have killed off Bhaisaab. I would have much rather preferred Vikrant Dhawan or Zarina Malik to die, they don't have much to do in the show and the performances of both actors has been quite below par. Aamir Bashir on the other hand is a much better actor and as a character adds a lot of depth to every scene that he is in.
The creators of the show need to be credited for making three binge worthy seasons and releasing new seasons at regular intervals, it's a rarely seen phenomena in India. I hope, that if they are planning for future seasons of the show, then they should ensure that the show retains its edginess and continues to be a compelling watch, and the actors they hire are actually actors and not just models. Season 3 may not have been as good as Season 2, but I would still look forward to the next season, if at all there is one.
WHAT WORKS :
1. One of the key positives of this show has always been that it's paced very well, and that continues to be a strong point of the show. The end of every episode takes you by surprise because of how engaging the show is.
2. The addition of Aamir Bashir and Sapna Pabbi to the cast of this show was a great decision in the second season, and it continues to pay off this season as well as both actors have performed very well. This season the story delves deeper into the life of these two characters, which makes for a great watch. Aamir Bashir as Bhaisaab plays the tough business tycoon and an emotional, heartbroken and vulnerable father and brother with equal ease and full conviction. Goes without saying that Aamir Bashir is quite outstanding in the show.
3. Dalip Tahil's cameo was quite solid in the show. I don't know if he will be there in the next season or not but he certainly added a lot of weight to this season with his powerful performance.
4. The show is inspired by real life events and this season incorporated the Virat Kohli - Rohit Sharma rivalry through Vayu Raghavan and Rohit Shanbagh (played by Akshay Oberoi), and that is always an interesting watch because truth often comes out in the form of a fictionalized story.
5. Cricket matches look very good. Just like the previous two seasons, this season too every match gives you the feel of an actual match, and for that the creators need to be praised.
WHAT DOESN'T WORK :
1. This season lacks the energy of last season. Last season was fired up by Vayu Raghavan (Tanuj Virwani) and Rohini Raghavan's (Sayani Gupta) stellar acts, but in this season both of them remained quite understated. In fact, unlike the first two seasons, both actors didn't have a lot to do this season.
2. The absence of Angad Bedi and Siddhant Chaturvedi was definitely felt. It's not quite clear why they opted out of the show, but it's quite unfortunate to lose two key characters, especially Siddhant Chaturvedi, whose arc as Prashant Kanaujia was quite exceptional. Perhaps he finds himself too big for this show, considering he's doing movies now, but one must never forget their roots.
3. There's only so much that you can do with an idea. The creators managed to surprise the viewers with the cricket matches in the first two seasons, but in this season one could clearly see all the twists and turns beforehand. The surprise element went missing this season.
4. Richa Chadha as Zarina Malik continues to be a misfit in the show. She has definitely improved her acting and dialogue delivery, but one can't deny that this role required a younger and more glamourous actress.
5. Sidhant Gupta's (as Imaad Akbar) addition to the cast didn't quite add anything to the show. He wears the same expression throughout the season and all his scenes were quite dull and predictable. It looks like he has been given the track of Siddhant Chanturvedi (as Prashant Kanaujia), everything that happened to Prashant was happening to Imaad as well, on top of that Rohini (Sayani Gupta) started taking a romantic interest in him. Why repeat the storyline ? It felt like watching the Season 1 story with a different actor. A key difference was that Siddhant Chaturvedi was a better actor and Prashant Kanaujia's story had more heart, believability and as a result had a bigger impact on the audience.
6. I was really happy to see Shivani Tanksale in this season, and was hoping to see her role develop into something big, but that didn't happen. The writers almost forgot about her in the later part of the show.
7. They shouldn't have killed off Bhaisaab. I would have much rather preferred Vikrant Dhawan or Zarina Malik to die, they don't have much to do in the show and the performances of both actors has been quite below par. Aamir Bashir on the other hand is a much better actor and as a character adds a lot of depth to every scene that he is in.
The creators of the show need to be credited for making three binge worthy seasons and releasing new seasons at regular intervals, it's a rarely seen phenomena in India. I hope, that if they are planning for future seasons of the show, then they should ensure that the show retains its edginess and continues to be a compelling watch, and the actors they hire are actually actors and not just models. Season 3 may not have been as good as Season 2, but I would still look forward to the next season, if at all there is one.