- Date of Release: 10 December 2021
- Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Language: Hindi
- Watch On: Disney + Hotstar
Aarya (Season 2)
Introduction
Well Well Well! Thank God It Is Friday and the weekend is here! And we have as many as three new webseries to review. So lets roll up our sleeves and get to work. First up, I finished watching the second season of Aarya starring Sushmita Sen. I remember watching the first season(whose review is also available on Popcorn Reviewss) where Sushmita was making a comeback of sorts. That time the preparation of Popcorn Reviewss had just started and we were in process of reviewing every stuff that was coming our way. And it was such a pleasure watching Sushmita Sen in her comeback vehicle. The story was subtle yet compelling and it made for a great season 1 ofcourse with its share of flaws. So then is the second season as good as the first, stay tuned. Here is our Aarya season 2 review!
Story & Screenplay
The second season of Aarya picks up from the point season 1 had ended where a fresh set of challenges await our protagonist. The story is quite compelling and thrilling. But it was the screenplay that was instantly catchy. If you remember season 1 where I had mentioned that one of its flaws was that the drama was lingering on for far too much time. There were some gripping moments sandwiched between moments of that were just fillers, something that added crucial minutes to the runtime and something that could have easily been edited out. But here, after a bit of a wobbly beginning, you are instantly drawn into the drama. There is a sense of purpose and urgency to it that makes you chew your finger nails. The twists and turns are subtle but more impactful here and it has got to do with the pacing of the drama. The obstacles that the protagonist faces is meticulously portrayed with each subplot holding value to the eventual outcome. The drama that keeps getting murkier by the minute is sure to keep you on your toes culminating into a shocking final act and a nice little setup for season 3. The narrative here is layered as well which makes it a compelling watch. Overall, an expertly written screenplay!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are subtle yet immensely impactful. The drama is largely conversational but the dialogues do their bit in engaging you. The music comprises of some old songs that are wonderfully woven in the screenplay. The BGM is exceptional and one of the themes(Bade Achche Lagte Hain on acoustics) was quite haunting. Other pieces definitely elevate the drama. The cinematography is brilliant, some of the frames are nicely cut out. The production design is beautiful to look at. The Director’s chair is shared by three individuals – Ram Madhvani, Vinod Rawat and Kapil Sharma. And I couldn’t differentiate who has directed which part which means the direction was top notch! The three directors were successfully able to hold the attention of the audience through and through, and that was a big plus. In other words, this is a green tick in the report card for direction.
Performances
The performance deserves an applause here. Dilnaz Irani as Shefali is magnificient. Just look out for the interrogation scene and you will instantly know what a brilliant actor she truely is! Geetanjali Kulkarni as the female cop is terrific in a layered role although with a limited screentime. Shataf Figar is quite good, so are Charu Shankar and Tariq Vasudev! Sikandar Kher as Daulat is first rate and aptly cast here although in a touch underwritten role. Ankur Bhatia as Sangram and Sugandha Garg as Hina both have their moments to shine particularly the latter who displays an interesting conflict. Maya Sarao is such a fine actress and she looks at ease in front of the camera! Vikas Kumar as ACP Khan is wonderful and again another actor you want more of. Jayant Kripalani as Zorawar is pretty good, as is Sohaila Kapur as Rajeshwari! The three siblings Adi, Aru and Veer played by Pratyaksh Panwar, Virti Vaghani and Viren Vazirani are like a breath of fresh air and add alot of freshness to the drama. Viren as Veer displays great maturity in his role while Virti as Aru is an absolute find and quite brilliant. A special mention of Vishwajeet Pradhan who is excellent as Sampat. Which finally brings me to Sushmita Sen as Aarya. Such a dignified and effortless performance. Such a natural onscreen Everytime she says ‘Jaan’ or ‘Bachcha’ your heart melts. And she gives a towering performance for the ages!!! Hope to now see alot more of her!! And btw cannot not talk about her looks – she is drop dead gorgeous!!! Reserving one whole star for her like last time!
Conclusion
The second season of Aarya is compelling, thrilling and a notch better than season 1. Available on Hotstar and Highly Recommended.