Web Series Review: Showtime (first 4 episodes)

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

March 8, 2024 - 2:09 PM IST

Star Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Rajeev Khandelwal, Mouni Roy, Shriya Saran

Web Series Review: Showtime (first 4 episodes)

Director: Mihir Desai, Archit Kumar

Synopsis:
SHOWTIME is the story of an insider’s face-off with an outsider. Producer Victor Khanna (Naseeruddin Shah) is the founder of Viktory Studios. He’s almost retired and his son Raghu Khanna (Emraan Hashmi) has taken over. Both are constantly at loggerheads as Victor doesn’t approve of his son’s ways and the kind of films he produces. Raghu’s recent film Pyaar Dangerous has just been released and has taken a huge opening. Afraid that the reviews might not be positive, Raghu tries to bribe the critics. Tarun of News Samachar usually reviews films. But since he’s unwell, he asks his junior, Mahika Nandi (Mahima Makwana), to do the needful. She’s asked to say positive stuff. Raghu’s aide, Ziko (Gurpreet Saini), even gifts her the latest smartphone. Yet, on live TV, she blasts the film and even blurts out that she was bribed. Her byte goes viral and she loses her job. The same day, Raghu attends the mahurat of his upcoming period film 1857, starring superstar Armaan Singh (Rajeev Khandelwal). Armaan tries to make changes in the script and treatment but Raghu smartly checkmates him. Armaan realizes that he needs the film as his last three flicks were flops. On the other hand, Raghu meets Yasmin Ali (Mouni Roy), an actress known to do item songs. He promises to her that she’ll play the lead in his upcoming female-led action flick, Agent Haseena. At night, Mahika bumps into Deven (Denzil Smith), the trusted aide of Victor and orders her to meet the latter. Mahika and Victor have a heart-to-heart chat. Mahika confesses that she’d like Viktory Studios to back heartfelt films that they used to make once. A few hours later, Victor passes away. Raghu gets the shock of his life when the lawyers read Victor’s will which states that Viktory Studios has been handed over to none other than Mahika Nandi as she’s Victor’s granddaughter! What happens next forms the rest of the series.

Showtime Story Review:
The story is fascinating and inspired by real-life happenings. Sumit Roy, Lara Chandni and Mithun Gangopadhyay's screenplay stands out because, unlike other web series, it’s based on showbiz. The several twists and turns are unpredictable and keep the viewers invested. A few developments are very convincing and even forced. Jehan Handa and Karan Shrikant Sharma's dialogues are witty and will leave the audience in splits. Some of the one-liners might go viral.

Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar's direction is neat. It gives a déjà vu of Madhur Bhandarkar films like PAGE 3 [2005], FASHION [2008] and HEROINE [2012] while the will-reading sequence and its consequence reminds one of KNIVES OUT [2019]. Nevertheless, SHOWTIME stands out and is very much an original and genuine effort. The characters are quirky and their eccentricities will make viewers wonder who they are based on from real life. The length of the episodes is between 30 and 45 minutes and that’s just right for this series. A few scenes that are memorable are how Armaan Singh was convinced for 1857, Raghu learning that he has lost Viktory’s ownership, Armaan checking out radish in his farmhouse while Raghu desperately tries to persuade him to sign his film, Raghu’s outburst, etc.

On the flipside, so much happens in the first two episodes that the last two episodes pale in comparison. Mahika taking over the studio and running it smoothly is difficult to digest. The track of Prithvi’s (Vishal Vashishtha) sister is moving but it also sticks out like a sore thumb. Hopefully, it’ll have some significance in the upcoming episodes. Lastly, Mahima slamming Pyaar Dangerous makes for a great watch but one also wonders why she did it in the place, fully knowing that there will be consequences.

Showtime Performances:
Emraan Hashmi gets into the skin of the character. He has played characters with grey shades but he ups his game with SHOWTIME. He also looks quite dashing. Mahima Makwana creates a strong position for herself in the presence of the stalwarts and proves that she is the right fit for the role. Mouni Roy looks sizzling and gives a first-rate performance. Shriya Saran (Mandira) is fine though she has limited screen time and should have a substantial part in the final episodes. Naseeruddin Shah rocks the show in a cameo. Denzil Smith and Vishal Vashishtha lend able support. Vijay Raaz (Saajan Morarka) is dependable as always. Neeraj Madhav (Satya Krishnan) is decent but one wonders why he was given the massiest entry in the show. Shataf Figar (Rustom Boxwala) leaves a mark. Lillete Dubey (Sarika) is hardly there. Gurpreet Saini, Vandana Joshi (Meena Chandra; actress in 1857), Payal Arora (Surbhi; Prithvi’s sister), Akshay Anand Kohli (Parth; Surbhi’s husband) and Lovkesh Solanki (Montu Morarka) are okay.

Showtime music and other technical aspects:
The music is in sync with the genre. The title track is catchy. The other songs like 'Class Teri' (featuring Badshah), 'Bholi Teri' 'Main Haara' and 'Lucky Lover' are okay. Anand Bhaskar's background score is appropriate.

Vivek Shah's cinematography is neat. Anaita Shroff Adajania and Akshay Tyagi's costumes are ultra-glamorous and it makes sense since the show is all about celebrities. Amrita Mahal Nakai's production design is majestic. Manan Ashwin Mehta and Sarvesh Kumar Singh's editing is smooth.

Showtime Conclusion:
On the whole, the first four episodes of SHOWTIME are entertaining and thanks to the star cast and the references in the show, it’s sure to make people curious and amused, resulting in a healthy viewership.

Rating – 3 stars