Title: Taaza Khabar
Director: Himank Gaur
Cast: Bhuvan Bam, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Shilpa Shukla, Deven Bhojani
Streaming On: Disney+ Hotstar
Rating: 2.5 stars
As soon as one hears 'Taaza Khabar', the mind immediately associates the phrase with the blaring news channels. However, this Disney+Hotstar original series presents a dark comedy show that talks about those trying to make it out from the underbellies of big metropolitan cities--in this case [like every Bollywood project], it's Mumbai.
Bam's production, Taaza Khabar, is a show that chronicles the journey of a public toilet manager Vasant, fondly called Vasya, and how a boon changes his life; what he loses and gains forms the crux of the show.
The show gives comic relief and grittiness in the right amount but the show, written by Hussain Dalal and Abbas Dalal, suffers as its trajectory takes predictable turns. The gap between the intention and execution is unbridgeable. A few performances though do stand out.
Bam, who plays Vasya, effortlessly goes from being the shy boy next door to feeling as invincible as God and a person whose morality is blinded by wealth. He also has evidently evolved as a performer and his performance gives it away. He delved into the skin of the character and brought him to life.
Himank Gaur, director of the show, also got talented actors like Shriya Pilgaonkar, Deven Bhojani, Prathmesh Parab, Nitya Mathur, and Shilpa Shukla -- who join Bhuvan Bam to make the perfect quirky ensemble, however, their talents were not utilized as much.
Pilgaonkar's Madhu, a sex worker with a heart of gold, brings light-heartedness while Deven Bhojani's Mehboob bhai brings with him wisdom. Atisha Naik as Vasya's mother brings warmth to the otherwise cold story. Nitya Mathur, who handles the finances for Vasya, also adds little interesting pockets to the story.
Since the onset, it was clearly a show about Bam's Vasya but unexpectedly, the other characters were equally well sketched out except a couple like JD Chakravarthy's Shetty who seems more like a spoilt brat than a commanding and unruly politician.
The cinematography of the show is very striking and does acutely compensate for the lack of freshness in the plot. So does the star cast.
'Taaza Khabar' is crafted out of Bollywood's favourite trope, and starts on a promising note only leaving viewers high and dry. The end does not make viewers any wiser. If you want something cliched, the show is worth a one-time watch.
