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Bambai Meri Jaan Review: Kay Kay Menon’s Crime Series On Mumbai’s Underworld Is Wild & Gruesome
Bambai Meri Jaan Review: Bollywood has always been fascinated by Bombay's underworld. From Once Upon A Time In Mumbai to Shootout At Wadala, filmmakers have constantly tried to bring the saga of the dark underworld with a dash of glitz and glamour onto the silver screen.
Now, the same story is being retold in a more stylized and gritty manner in Amazon Prime's new series, Bambai Meri Jaan. The series is created by Rensil D'Silva and Shujaat Saudagar. The 10-episode period crime drama, directed by Shujaat Saudagar, was dropped on September 14.
Produced by Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment, Bambai Meri Jaan is based on a book titled Dongri To Dubai written by crime writer and investigative journalist S. Hussain Zaidi. The book traces India's most wanted and dreaded gangster, Dawood Ibrahim's journey from Dongri lanes, where he first cut his teeth in crime by learning the skills, inducing fear, and eventually establishing his empire in Dubai.
Starring Kay Kay Menon, Avinash Tiwary, and Kritika Kamra in the lead roles, Bambai Meri Jaan shows the old and rusty Mumbai when it was torn apart by greed, corruption, deceit, and treachery. As the trailer left audiences expecting a gripping crime drama series, let's find out if it lives up to expectations.
Plot
Bambai Meri Jaan's first episode opens in 1986, with Dara Kadri (Avinash Tiwary) and his family preparing to flee the city amid heavy rains. We see Dara arguing with his father, giving us a hint of the moral clash between the two.
The first few episodes show Ismail Kadri, played by Kay Kay Menon, as an honest and upright police officer who is adamant about cleaning Bombay from the grasp of mafia kingpin Haji (Saurabh Sachdeva) and the famous Pathan gang that operates illegal smuggling and drug businesses.
In the later episodes, we see Haji and the Pathan gang successfully hatching a plan to get Ismail dismissed from the police service and compelling him to work for them. Amid the Kadri family's rattling situation, we are given a sneak peek into the childhood life of Dara Kadri, who is the sharpest amongst his siblings and friends.
It's the 70s, where Dara is a grown man who is cheating people to make a quick buck. He instills fear among the people of his locality and gradually becomes Bombay's most ruthless and cruel gangster.
Dara's uncompromising stubbornness to achieve everything for a better life and establish his strong grip over the city is told through the eyes of his father, Ismail.
Performances
Avinash Tiwary and Kay Kay Menon
Ismail Kadri and Dara Kadri are played by Kay Kay Menon and Avinash Tiwary, respectively. The father and son's hate and love relationship has been effectively portrayed by the two. The scenes between the two are strong enough to make you feel the on-going tension between them.
Avinash has, with each role, proven to be one of the industry's exceptional new-age actors. He brings Dara's resolute persona to life. Avinash seemingly embodies the character's determination and merciless nature with convincing looks. He effortlessly portrays violence as a gangster and love as a caring son and a brother.
Kay Kay Menon, hands down, is a gifted actor who moulds himself into the shoes of Ismail Kadri. Menon skillfully outlines his character, who is headstrong and righteous in his job. He is a strict father who is mindful of ensuring his kids travel the path of self-consciousness. The actor, as always, is a delight to watch.
Kritika Kamra
The show's surprise package is Kritika Kamra, who plays Habiba, Dara Kadri's sister. From playing girl next door roles to emulating a fearless young woman, Kritika impresses us with her sharp acting prowess.
Saurabh Sachdeva
Saurabh Sachdeva, as Haji Maqbool, steals the spotlight as a menacing mafia kingpin. His intense gaze, restrained dialogue delivery, and body language are commendable, as they are needed for a character like this.
Nivedita Bhattacharya
Nivedita Bhattacharya delivers a praiseworthy performance as a police officer's wife who is torn between the rivalry of her husband and son. She's absolutely admirable.
Others
Saurabh Sachdeva, Jitin Gulati, Nawab Shah, Vivan Bhathena, Shiv Panditt, and Lakshya Kochhar all have given noteworthy performances, doing justice to their respective roles.
What's Good
One of Bambai Meri Jaan's standout points is its visually captivating production design. It captures the old and vintage Mumbai beautifully, giving us a glance into the city's darkest times.
The show's smooth and coherent storytelling keeps one glued to the screen, wondering what's next. It seemingly blends the subplots with the main plotline without deviating from its central idea.
As the characters belong to the lowest class, the typical Mumbaiya language is perfectly used. They are laughable and have depth as well.
Staying true to their gritty nature, scenes involving murders and barbarism are filmed in their truest savagery.
What's Bad
The story seems a little stretched out at certain places. Though the dialogues carry the true spirit of Mumbai's 'tapori' dialect, the delivery is loud and overdone.
Verdict
The 10-episode series, each lasting for around 35-50 minutes, gives you a thrilling and rugged portrayal of Mumbai's underworld life compared to the existing glamorous gangster films.
It's an engaging and harrowing tale of a poor boy's determination and his love for Bombay to rule over it. A unique perspective on the life of a gangster is shown through the eyes of his father.
Bloodshed, treachery, gang wars, underworld enmity, and the race to survive in business-everything shown with the utmost sincerity makes Bambai Meri Jaan a compelling watch.
