Web Series Review: Bambai Meri Jaan

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

September 14, 2023 - 4:01 PM IST

BAMBAI MERI JAAN is the story of an ordinary man who becomes the city’s biggest don. The year is 1964. Ismail Kadri (Kay Kay Menon) is a cop who has just shifted from Ratnagiri to Bombay. He is righteous and raids a den belonging to gangster Haji (Saurabh Sachdeva) and Azeem Pathan (Nawab Shah). The senior police officials rap him for his action as they fear Haji and Pathan. But the Home Ministry at the Centre applauds Ismail, Ahmed Ansari (Tauqeer Alam Khan) and Younis (Rohit Kokate). The Home Minister is fed up with the duo and the power they hold in the city. An IAS officer, Arvind Kaul (Prince Kanwal), is given charge. He creates a special task force comprising Ismail, Ahmed and Yunis. Their mission is to expose Haji and Pathan's smuggling business. Haji tries his best to outsmart Ismail. But Ismail, through his network of informers, manages to put a dent in his business. Haji tries to bribe him but fails. A golden opportunity falls in Haji's lap when Ismail's brother-in-law Rahim (Alok Pandey), a drug addict, joins Haji's gang after Ismail refuses to give him money for drugs. One day, the cops chase Rahim while he is transporting Haji's illegal goods. Rahim kills Ahmed. He lands at Ismail's house. Without mentioning Ahmed's murder, he begs Ismail to help him from the police. Ismail refuses but he relents when his wife Sakina (Nivedita Bhattacharya) requests him. Ismail drops Rahim to the station and asks him to leave the city. He then learns of Ahmed's murder and a perception is built that he helped Rahim escape. He is expelled from the police force. No one is ready to employ him out of Haji's fear. He then has no choice but to work for Haji. Around 15 years later, his middle son Dara Kadri (Avinash Tiwary) emerges as a local goon and just like his father, also troubles Haji. Haji offers to work with him. Only this time, Dara doesn't remain a faithful servant to Haji. Instead, he becomes bigger than Haji, Pathan and any other crime lord the city had ever seen. What happens next forms the rest of the series.

Web Series Review: Bambai Meri Jaan

S Hussain Zaidi's story is a bit clichéd but is very detailed and well-researched. Rensil D'Silva, Sameer Arora and Chaitanya Chopra's screenplay (additional screenplay by Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal) is captivating. The writers have tried their best to ensure the viewers get to see a story that is known to them, in a different light. Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal's dialogues are sharp but a series like this should have had some punchy dialogues.

Shujaat Saudagar's direction is good. He keeps the narrative very simple and there’s no scope for confusion at all. The characters are well fleshed out and the bond they share with each other makes for a nice watch. A few scenes are superbly executed like Dara setting the ‘akhada’ on fire, a young Dara being reprimanded for stealing a goat, Dara’s girlfriend teasing him for taking 10 years to confess, etc. The killing of Ahmed comes as a bolt from the blue and deserves kudos, from execution and also writing point of view.

On the flipside, though the treatment is different from the Mumbai underworld films, one can’t help but think of COMPANY [2002], ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI [2010], SHOOTOUT AT WADALA [2013], etc, as at the end of the day, it’s the same story. The writers try to add twists in a way that catches viewers unaware but the end goal in these scenes is what the viewers can see from a mile away. Secondly, the series has 10 episodes and is too long.

BAMBAI MERI JAAN has several talented actors, but Kay Kay Menon steals the show. This is arguably his most accomplished work. The way he essays the role of a brave, honest cop who later surrenders himself to the circumstances is seen to be believed. Avinash Tiwary gets into the skin of the character and performs ably. Kritika Kamra (Habiba) is a surprise. She plays a cool character with panache. Nivedita Bhattacharya is lovely. Saurabh Sachdeva has an arresting screen presence and delivers a rocking performance. Nawab Shah is dependable. Vivan Bhatena (Abdullah) is lovely. One would wish for such a character in one’s life; a man who’s always there to watch your back. Sunil Palwal (Bilawal) leaves a mark. Amyra Dastur (Pari Patel) is sweet but has limited screen time. Alok Pandey, Shiv Panditt (Ranbir Malik), Jitin Gulati (Saadiq) and Ashwani Kumar (Nasir Edenwala) do well in supporting roles.

Sumeet Vyas (Ganya Surve) plays a twisted character, a rarity, and comes out with flying colours. Aditya Rawal (Babban aka Chhota) is natural and will have more to do in the second season. Dinesh Prabhakar (Anna Rajan Mudaliar) and Lakshya Kocchar (Ajju Kadri) don’t get much scope. Rajat Kaul (Raiszada), Kamaljeet Rana (Haroon), Akshay Anand Kohli (Yasir) and Priyadarshan Singh (Arif) are good as the goons sent to kill Dara and his family. Navin Talreja (Darius Patel) is over the top, as per the requirement. Tanaya Khan Jha (Chitra; prostitute) manages to register. Divyani Gandhi (Kainaaz; Saadiq's wife), Tauqeer Alam Khan, Rohit Kokate and Prince Kanwal are okay. Lastly, the child actors – Manthan Darji (Young Dara), Nihar Gite (Young Saadiq), Sammara Khan (Young Pari) and Atharva Sharma (Young Ajju) – deliver splendid performances.

Salvage Audio Collective's music is not up to the mark. The songs like 'Tod Mod', 'Jaane Jaan' and 'Chal Re' have a modern touch and look out of place in a show like this. 'Zindagi Picture Hai' is the only song that works. Salvage Audio Collective's background score is thrilling.

John Schmidt's cinematography is impactful. Bibi Zeeba Miraie's costumes are in sync with the era shown. The same goes for Nitin Gaikwad's production design. The VFX, however, is tacky, especially the exterior shots of old Mumbai. Action is fine but in some scenes it’s needlessly too gory. Special mention should also go to Plexus Motion for its terrific title sequence motion design. Tushar Parekh, Sanjay Ingle and Aman Shukla's editing is smart and well-cut. The scene of two characters having sex in an intimate setting is cut to another character with a prostitute in a brothel. The way it's interspersed is praiseworthy. At the same time, a few scenes are unnecessary and should have been shortened or done away with.

On the whole, BAMBAI MERI JAAN is a gripping underworld saga and is laced with a simplistic and captivating narrative, well-fleshed-out characters and terrific performances. But it suffers a bit due to the long length and beaten-to-death storyline.

Rating: 3 stars