You know you are dealing with quality content when people speak like they normally would in their part of the world. It gets tiresome watching Indians speak English in Hollywood produced films where they sound anywhere between participating in a P.G Wodehouse school play or like Apu from the Simpsons!
So I was pleasantly surprised to see the actors here speak like people in Bombay (or other parts of India) normally would. A good mix of English, Hindi and "Hinglish"... and a few good "gaalis" (curse words) thrown in to add that extra layer of authenticity!
The show has a lot of things going for it - 1) A well paced plot, 2) Solid actors - both in the lead roles and the ones who have small parts. This is a great ensemble cast with very little star power, yet everyone looks very sincere and earnest in playing their roles. 3) Excellent aesthetics - you can almost tell Farhan Akthar and Ritesh Sidhwani are involved somehow, with the attention to detail! 4) Situations that are rooted in reality. And that's probably what makes the show connect to Indians all over... Cricket is a religion in India, as cliched as it may sound, but this series goes farther into the psyche of the players and the people who "play behind the scenes"...These range from small time bookies, enablers, politicians, Bollywood and underworld figures, drug dealers, businessmen etc. And an entire ecosystem of sports managers, media personnel, product endorsements deals, announcers etc. This entire nexus between the sportsmen, their dependents and the fringe characters come together nicely in "Inside Edge". Despite the many characters and sub-plots, the writing is tight and rarely meanders.
The series also has its flaws--- 1) The relationships seem almost caricaturish, as do some of the characters. 2) The English, while spoken effortlessly, does seem forced in many situations where switching to Hindi or English may have been more apt.. 3) The sex almost always look forced (no pun intended).. I get the modern, bold India concept where people are more sexually expressive and demanding, than their previous generations... but the creators of the show seem contractually obliged to force that concept down your throat in every episode! 4) The character development also seem half baked. For example, the Vivek Oberoi and Haryana Huurricanes owner character, could have been shaped up to be more nuanced/complex ... and earlier episodes appear to go in that direction... but then that gets thrown by the wayside and the creators resort to confining them to a standard Bollywood definition of a villian or an opportunist.
All that said, this is still an amazing attempt and a very exciting watch. I look forward to seeing some of these actors in other projects. But above all, this may indicate Television in India finally coming out of the slapstick, soapy, brain numbing slump that has prevailed since the early 90's towards quality, intelligent content. Hats off to the the real players behind this show for bringing this together!
The show has a lot of things going for it - 1) A well paced plot, 2) Solid actors - both in the lead roles and the ones who have small parts. This is a great ensemble cast with very little star power, yet everyone looks very sincere and earnest in playing their roles. 3) Excellent aesthetics - you can almost tell Farhan Akthar and Ritesh Sidhwani are involved somehow, with the attention to detail! 4) Situations that are rooted in reality. And that's probably what makes the show connect to Indians all over... Cricket is a religion in India, as cliched as it may sound, but this series goes farther into the psyche of the players and the people who "play behind the scenes"...These range from small time bookies, enablers, politicians, Bollywood and underworld figures, drug dealers, businessmen etc. And an entire ecosystem of sports managers, media personnel, product endorsements deals, announcers etc. This entire nexus between the sportsmen, their dependents and the fringe characters come together nicely in "Inside Edge". Despite the many characters and sub-plots, the writing is tight and rarely meanders.
The series also has its flaws--- 1) The relationships seem almost caricaturish, as do some of the characters. 2) The English, while spoken effortlessly, does seem forced in many situations where switching to Hindi or English may have been more apt.. 3) The sex almost always look forced (no pun intended).. I get the modern, bold India concept where people are more sexually expressive and demanding, than their previous generations... but the creators of the show seem contractually obliged to force that concept down your throat in every episode! 4) The character development also seem half baked. For example, the Vivek Oberoi and Haryana Huurricanes owner character, could have been shaped up to be more nuanced/complex ... and earlier episodes appear to go in that direction... but then that gets thrown by the wayside and the creators resort to confining them to a standard Bollywood definition of a villian or an opportunist.
All that said, this is still an amazing attempt and a very exciting watch. I look forward to seeing some of these actors in other projects. But above all, this may indicate Television in India finally coming out of the slapstick, soapy, brain numbing slump that has prevailed since the early 90's towards quality, intelligent content. Hats off to the the real players behind this show for bringing this together!
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