Mistry (Season 1)
Introduction
The cold open of the new Hindi show Mistry is an interesting piece of anti-writing. The setting remains that of a crime scene even as you spot the regular sight of a lifeless corpse in a pool of blood. And while the investigation is on, you are privy to the protagonist Armaan Mistry (Ram Kapoor), an OCD-driven character who is more concerned about the gas-knob at his place. In the moment he exclaims on how he is unsure if he had switched off the gas supply, bang in the middle of the crime scene. In the next moment, he lets out crucial pointers about the case by literally making them sound like fragmented pieces of information, even as his focus continues to align as a source of distraction (in this case, the gas-knob). Instantly, you gravitate towards the hundredth version of Sherlock, or more like a crossover between Sherlock Holmes and Pink Panther, a consistently playful trait that will eventually keep you invested in the drama that resembles a quick afternoon snack. The drama isn’t necessarily a main course, nor is it a side, it is one of those midnight cravings (or a mid-day cravings) that you have in between meals. In other words, it doesn’t make you lose your appetite but quickly satisfies your hunger pangs. It is focused, frivolous and decently enjoyable!
Story & Screenplay
An official adaptation of the English show Monk and written by Aarsh Vora, one of the interesting facets of the drama remains its colourful characters that essentially manage to keep it afloat. Along with the OCD-driven protagonist with ‘Mistry’ (mystery) as his last name, you also are acquainted to his assistant Sharanya (Shikha Talsania), a single mom who juggles her duties between her two ‘children’. So when she is away from home, she is usually assisting Armaan with his daily chores, that include wet wipes and hand sanitizer, that usually keeps his OCD in check. You are also acquainted to the crime branch boss and Armaan’s ex-colleague Sehmat (Mona Singh) and her cutsie goofy sub-inspector Bunty (Kshitish Dave) that form important characters with respect to the fabric of the drama. It is usually the dynamics between these characters that plays a part in solving the cases that usually end with Armaan exclaiming moments before “time” on how ‘he has cracked the case”.
The format of the drama remains that of a sit-com, almost like a CID within a CID with dollops of humour, with each episode dedicated to a new case. The drama remains snackable for this reason – the cases are short, the events are hilarious but also frivolous, even as the pact lead by Armaan take up cases with unfamiliar guests in an unfamiliar setting. Here, I must also add that not all cases have a zing to them. Some remain as predictable with the culprits from a Scoobie Doo episode, a twist that you can see coming from a mile. The format here itself is a boon and a bane – the former because the events unfold at a speed of a bullet train, but the latter also because you don’t really care about playing the guessing game. In a way, it is like the Hindi show Gyaarah Gyaarah (2024), with the sole difference being on how the second half of that show brought the personal equations between characters to form a thread, that eventually takes center stage. In Mistry, this remains the exact opposite trait!
One of the few tweaks in the screenplay that I would have wished for (and I have no reference of Monk, but assuming this to be the same format), is to treat it less as a sit-com and more as a webshow. See there is a difference – sitcoms usually include individual storylines that play out every episode with a loose connecting thread to combine the storyline, whereas a webshow has a single storyline with multiple subplots. The issue with the first on OTT is the fragmented style of the writing when you choose to binge-watch it. You can’t help but stay at bay with the characters, even as they hit restart mode after every episode. The scenario shifts on television given the ‘real-time’ gap in the proceedings, but then I digress!
As a result, one of the weaker elements of the show includes Armaan’s personal life, and the trauma that he shares with respect to his wife’s death. This emotion never overpowers the frivolous nature of the show, even as you spot Armaan adjusting stray characters’ collars, or volunteering to wipe dirt off the doorway of strangers. The emotional core needed to be a shining light with everything else being a byproduct of his superpower, something that doesn’t really happen. The events are fun and frivolous but instantly forgettable. In fact, I did think that the sequence of events will tilt towards an emotional arc for the protagonist, a detail that doesn’t arrive until the final episode which also had me on the fence – why didn’t it wrap up the emotional arc of the protagonist, almost as a closure. Was it necessary to carry this legacy to the next season? It is kind of an overwhelming and mildly concerning trend, even as the screenplay is decently entertaining and immensely watchable!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are witty and often laced with humour that allows the drama to land with respect to the comedy. The lines assist well even in scenes of revelations, that adds to the fun quotient of the drama. The BGM has a playfully intriguing trait that goes perfectly in sync with the frivolous but mysterious tone of the drama, that allows you to also engage humourously with the protagonist. The cinematography hits different given that the show is shot across different locations of Mumbai. There is a depth to the framing, almost allowing Mumbai to play a character that is witness to the sorrow and grief but also humour with respect to the protagonist. The editing is crisp (at times too crisp) but the good part remains on how the overall length of the show is kept in check (to 8 episodes of 30 odd minutes each). Director Rishab Seth (of Dhoom Dhaam (2024) and Cash (2021) fame) manages to keep things light and frothy while handling the tone of the drama really well. The minor blip is in the form of missing out on tapping the emotional core of the protagonist that doesn’t exactly hit the mark. But the characterization papers over much of the cracks, even as the director ensures that the drama is entertaining, something that will go down as a win in my book.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the members of the cast. There are several known faces that appear on the show, with each episode circling around their presence. The likes of Shruti Marathe, Sayandeep Sen, Inayat Sood and Anuj Sachdeva definitely leave a mark. Gagan Dev Riar and Ishitta Arun make their presence felt. Samvedna Suwalka and Atul Kumar are excellent in their respective roles. Sanika Ghaisas, Shishir Sharma and Sarika Singh are wonderful to witness, finding room to squeeze in the required dose of emotions. Srishti Dixit is hilarious as the head of securities who relishes on Hindi film references of Drishyam (2015) and Baazigar (1993). Kshitish Dave as Bunty is affable to the core in a character that will always put a smile on your face. Mona Singh as Sehmat is understated but always in sync with the humourous tone of the drama, something that makes for a wonderful act. Her brief portions of having to emote, are also well executed by her, in what turns out to be a dignified performance. Shikha Talsania as Sharanya matches toe to toe with the protagonist, while sharing a warm and humourous dynamic with the protagonist. She remains his agony aunt, his helper, his secretary, and several other playfully platonic roles that compensate for the loss of Armaan’s wife. She is sincere and does a solid job. Ram Kapoor as Armaan Mistry is an absolute delight to watch, and one of the mainstays of the show. He is affably goofy, well-measured but also sharp as a sword with his analytical skills. And his ability to extract frequent bouts of humour is something that makes this watchable drama, a rather fun watch. He is the soul of the show and how!
Conclusion
Despite not being memorable by any stretch of imagination, the first season of Mistry is a quick snackable drama with solid performances that makes for a rather fun watch. Watch it, enjoy it, forget it – nothing more, nothing less! Available on JioHotstar.