‘TANDAV’ | 15 January, 2021

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Politics is a dirty game. Everything’s fair in love, war and politics. No real discussion on politics can be complete without these philosophies dominating it. And these are the two theories on which Ali Abbas Zafar has made his first web series, Tandav, in nine parts for Amazon Prime Video. The series is produced by NSA Picture and Offside Entertainment.

Gaurav Solanki has written a riveting political drama which has thrills, intrigue, twists, turns, shockers and much much more. The scripting is so outstanding that it keeps the audience involved throughout. In fact, every episode ends at such a point that you want to watch the next right then. Ali Abbas Zafar has made the web series exactly like a big-budget film. The canvas, the star cast, the making, the takings, the narrative style — all befit a big-screen extravaganza. Both, Solanki and Zafar are in top form.

The star cast is formidable — Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Sunil Grover, Kumud Mishra, Kritika Kamra, Sarah Jane Dias, Dino Morea, Gauhar Khan, Sandhya Mridul, Anup Soni, Paresh Pahuja, Shonali Nagrani, Hiten Tejwani, Amyra Dastur, Neha Hinge and Sukhmani Sadana. The great thing about this impressive line-up of stars is that besides being well-known names, they are also actors who can deliver. Many among them are absolutely fine performers. Saif Ali Khan as the scheming Samar Pratap Singh, Dimple Kapadia as the power-hungry Anuradha Kishore, Tigmanshu Dhulia as Samar’s dad, Devki Nandan, who is in an extra-marital relationship with Anuradha, Mohd. Zeeshay Ayyub as Shiva Shekhar, Kumud Mishra as Gopal Das Munshi, Sunil Grover in a completely new avtaar as Gurpal Chauhan, Kritika Kamra, Sandhya Mridul, Anup Soni, Hiten Tejwani are all such brilliant actors that one knows them as super-dependable. In this series, it is absolutely mesmerising to see these reservoirs of talent showcase their brilliance. For Saif, Tandav is yet another shot in the arm. Right from his royal look to his costumes, his mannerisms, his body language, his dialogue delivery and his killer instincts, they all add up to make his performance memorable. Dimple Kapadia is superb. Kumud Mishra is yet again a revelation. He plays the scheming Munshi with elan. Tigmanshu Dhulia is very realistic. Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub is another wonderful actor! Sunil Grover springs a pleasant surprise. Anup Soni leaves a fine mark. Hiten Tejwani, Sandhya Mridul, Gauhar Khan, Amyra Dastur, Sara Jane Dias are all excellent in suporing roles.

Karol Stadnik’s cinematography is outstanding. Special mention must be made of Julius Packiam’s background score and Parvez Shaikh’s action and stunts. Rajnish Hedao’s production designing is of a high standard. Steven Bernard’s super-sharp cuts (editing) adds to the enjoyment quotient.

Tandav will be loved by the audience for various reasons: its drama, narration, performances and making. Amazon Prime Video has a sureshot hit on its hands. Little wonder, preparations are already afoot to start more seasons of the super series.