Directed by: Raj/DK, Nikhil Advani, Tanishta Chatterjee, Avinash Arun and Nitya Mehra.
Cast: Gulshan Devaiah, Saiyami Kher, Richa Chadda, Sumit Vyas, Ishwak Singh, Lilette Dubey, Rinku Rajguru, Abhishek Banerji, Geetika Ohlyan, Master Pallas, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shardul Bharadwaj.
The dreaded corona virus and the unexpected lockdown! Nobody escaped it this year, nobody really saw it coming, and the human race is still discovering the nectar vaccine. ‘Unpaused’ is an anthology series comprising five shorts based on the pandemic lockdown theme, the characters therein are battling the dilemma and insecurities erupted during the lockdown.
Glitch- set in a futuristic set up in 2032 when scientists are still struggling to find the vaccine, though technologically the world has advanced and we see an “hypo” and a covid warrior warming up to each other on a virtual date! Things take an U-turn once tragedy strikes and their relationship needs an reinvention. Worth watching for Devaiah’s brilliant act.
Apartment- an high profile couple’s elite world comes crashing down when the husband is accused by multiple women under MeToo charges. Lockdown strikes and the wife faces unmanageable trauma battling loneliness, guilt and lack of self worth. The story just about manages to passé, Chadda’s underplayed act weighs it down.
Rat-a-tat - during the lockdown two unlikely neighbours strike an unusual and poignant bond, one an eccentric elderly widow and the other a strapping teenager. Bonding over chai, rains, memories and rodents!, they overshadow the fearsome pandemic. Chatterji’s sensitive direction is first rate.
Vishaanu- highlighting the grief struck plight of migrant workers during the lockdown we get an insight into the lives of a migrant couple and their child who are out of work and homeless owing to the lockdown and they seek refuge in a ‘sample’ flat in a high rise apartment. Banerjee and Ohlyan are excellent as the couple, remarkably inspiring performances.
Chaand Mubarak- battling the effects of the lockdown a sick senior citizen woman struggles to get her outdoor requirements met, until she meets a young Muslim rickshaw driver and soon the reluctant ‘madam’ turns into his loving ‘Aapa’ over long rides and heartwarming chats. Both Pathak and Bharadwaj are impressive.
The series isn’t path breaking as such, I had earlier watched a South Indian series based on the same theme(couldn’t memorise the title) which was more impressive, anthologies are usually performance driven and when you sign a good actor half the battle is won, it’s the same case here as well, it’s the actors who are either lifting the story to greater heights or pulling it down to the ground, but certainly a decent one time watch. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
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