Sunflower (Season 2)
Introduction
Sunil Grover is perhaps the most gifted actor in the comedy genre with an understated sense of comic timing! Try changing my mind! Thank God It Is Friday and this time around there are a host of new releases in store so let’s get to them one by one. First up, I have finished watching the new Hindi show, the second season of Sunflower on Zee5 starring an ensemble cast to absolutely die for. Despite that, I remember watching the first season of Sunflower almost three years ago made me realise that the show had actually underutilized its talent with its slightly garbled storytelling. This is not to say that the show was bad, it was watchable with a delicious murder premise but in the second half of the show, things did come to a standstill as the writing started to get waferthin while only relying on the improvisations of the actors. This for me deviating from its core issue of a murder investigation while not quite closing the loop on the case as well. Come the second season, my expectations were that the makers would rectify the writing mishaps while focusing on the premise which still did hold a lot of interest for me. So then, does the second season of Sunflower manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The second season of Sunflower picks up from almost the same point where the first season had ended, while starting the proceedings 4 days after the events of the first season. And one thing that I did notice instantly is that the writers did well to bring the drama back to where it all started as opposed to a little inkling of a subplot set in Punjab. The story here is quirky which was the core emotion in play here although I wouldn’t stick my neck out and say that it worked through and through. The writing though is a little more in control here although I did feel that a couple of subplots did not quite tie up to the main murder plot. The screenplay standing at 8 episodes of roughly 30 odd minutes each definitely has some moments of laughter along the way although I did feel that the writers could have reached the conclusion of the show quicker than they actually did. For instance, the writing is again briefly lost in the middle resulting in one episode too many, a seven episode structure would have been even more impactful. But the writing is certainly better than the previous season.
The drama begins with the reintroduction of all the principal characters while the investigation of a potential murder is still underway. This is the same murder that had taken place in the first season which then had felt like a simple open and shut case. To add to the complexity, there is a new character, Rosie, injected in the proceedings that adds to the chaos. The case as it stands is a huge jigsaw puzzle with multiple threads in the open, and most threads account for subplots here that eventually piece together the puzzle. But from strictly the writing point of view, the plot is wafer thin relying on the acting chops of all actors to keep the ship afloat. Thankfully, the characters are penned interestingly well with distinct traits that eventually ends up making the drama watchable.
There are multiple references thrown in the mix that later act as a foreshadow in the tale which was an interesting creative decision from a writing standpoint given that there was little to no context of the potential plot point when it was shown first. The proceedings are funny and a lot of credit goes to the actors, all of whom have a wicked sense of humour that definitely cracks you up. That said, I did feel that not all the subplots hold your attention. In fact, some of them don’t quite add up to the main plot as well, simply contributing to the length of the show, something that could have been avoided.
The twists and turns in the screenplay are good given that the mystery element in the drama is maintained until the very end. I did feel that the makers could have staged the drama better in events leading up to the final act wherein all cards are revealed while throwing in even more questions as a setup for the third season. This, despite briefly straying from the core plot of the drama in the second act. Overall, the screenplay definitely has its moments to shine and makes for a decently engaging watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational but very intelligently penned while not losing the quirky sense of humour which essentially is the tone of the drama here. The BGM is quite good and it elevates the drama at various junctures. The cinematography is good as well while being in sync with the theme of the drama. The editing could have been a little sharper given that the drama lags in the second act, probably ironing out the lag would have ended up being beneficial to the drama. Director Navin Gujral does a decent job with the drama wherein he is definitely able to create several funny moments along the way, only to briefly deviate in the second act that felt slightly repetitive and stuck. But still, I felt he recovered well in the third act ensuring that the series remains watchable and true to its core theme.
Performances
The performances are incredibly good here by the ensemble cast. Asif Ali as Nimish is hilarious in his scene with Sunil Grover at the cosmetics shop and I found myself cracking up in that scene that attributes so well to the ability of Asif as a performer. Shubham Bagri as Noor is also tremendous with his dead pan humour that had me laughing through his character. Jyoti Kapoor as Mrs Kolkar, Martin Jishil as Narayal Paani Wala and Ria Nalavade as Paddy have their moments to shine. Ashwin Kaushal as Raj Kapoor is yet again impressive. Shonali Nagrani as Mrs Kapoor is quite good in her unabashed role. Mukul Chadda is nicely understated in a character who briefly takes a backseat in the larger scheme of things, this time around. Salonie Patel as Aanchal captures the essence of her character to perfection. Ashish Vidyarthi as Iyer makes his presence felt rather well.
Radha Bhatt as Radha is phenomenal to watch despite a slightly one-tone to her character wherein she impresses with her comic timing. Annapurna Soni is such a talented actor and I felt her character of one of my favourites on the show. A rather unassuming presence coupled with a playful undertone and some hidden motives are all packaged in an incredible performance by her. Girish Kulkarni and his incredible sense of comic timing is a match made in heaven and he is brilliant here as Tambe. Ranvir Shorey as Inspector DG is wonderfully restrained with a gentle streak of comedy that will put a smile on your face. Adah Sharma as Rosie is excellent here and she matches the comic timing of Sunil Grover at every beat of the drama. Sunil Grover is a gem of an actor and I am the happiest that slowly but surely he is getting the kind of opportunities that match his talent. As Sonu, he is spot on with his comedy, at times also landing jokes at unexpected places and that is testimony of his immaculate talent as an actor.
Conclusion
The second season of Sunflower is a quirky little murder mystery comedy that is a notch better than the first season and accounts for a decent one time watch. Available on Zee5.