Bandish Bandits- Web Series Review

"Music is a piece of art that goes in the ear straight to the Heart"

Bandish Bandits is a treat for those who love Music especially classical music. Art should not be a burden but a joy that sets you free and brings people together. The real star of the show is the Music. It had some lovely songs and its wonderful to see and hear characters talk about and sing a Khayal, Thumri and Bandish, all styles that are slowly getting lost in today's world.

Rating: ✬✬✬

Network : Amazon Prime Video

Director : Anand Tiwari

Strengths : Brilliant music and Cinematography 

Weakness : Characters lack dimension and Slow space story

Cast :

Naseeruddin Shah (Sangeet Samrat Rathod-Panditji) : He is excellent and manages to bring right amount of vulnerability to ensure that you don't dislike him.

Rajesh Tailang and Amit Mistry : Both these characters bring adequate pity and resentment to their roles

Sheeba Chaddha : She is brilliant as always, very subtle and impressive

Atul Kulkarni : Is a fine actor and brings out negativity in very elusive way.

Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhary : Quite impressive, though both are not great performers but their lack of experience works well here

Kunal Roy Kapur : He is Tamanna's agent (Arghya) brings the laughs but lack dimensions like most of the cast.

Meghana Malik and Rituraj Singh (Tamanna's Parents) : Natural Actors and played their part well

Plot :

This is a story about two individuals and two musical styles coming together for good. Radhe (Ritwik Bhowmik), a classical trained singer, meets pop star and social media music sensation Tamanna (Shreya Chaudhary) at her concert in Jodhpur. This encounter ends up becoming a life changing event for the two.

This series was shot on beautiful and stunning location in Rajasthan and Mumbai. Radhe lives with his grandfather Sangeet Samrat Rathod (Nasarudeen shah) addressed as Panditji by everyone including their family member is a custodian of their Gharana", a formidable teacher of Hindustani classical who demands absolute discipline. Despite failing hearing and aging, his words is a law and kept on high regard even by the Maharaja of Jodhpur. Sadly, their respectable public image is in sheer contrast to their gloomy and unhappy home where ambitions and desires are repressed. Panditji's sons Rajendra (Rajesh Tailang) and Devendra (Amit Mistry) hold grudges against their father for holding them to impossibly high standards, while Radhe's mother Mohini (Sheeba Chaddha) has a tragic story which is the highlight of the story.

Tamanna asks Radhe to collaborate with her as her music career was almost sinking. Radhe however determined to follow his grandfather's footsteps and refuses to sing in any other style till his family's misfortune forces him to change his mind. Singing with Tamanna had given him a completely different musical experience that he finds liberating and enjoyable.

Just when we think everything is going fine, enters Digvijay (Atul Kulkurni), Panditji's son from his first wife whom he has abandoned years ago. Digvijay wants his father to name him successor to his musical legacy instead of Radhe, which Panditji refused. That's when Digvijay reveled Radhe's collaboration with Tamanna. Panditji refuses to trained Radhe for challenged thrown by Digvijya, and that is when Mohini Pitches in. There is lot of drama in both Radhe's and Tamanna's life. How they managed to come out but thankfully series ends on a positive note.

Despite some flaws like the slow pace of the show and some characters lack dimensions, Bandish Bandits keeps up focus on crucial theme that classical and popular music style need not always have 

rift , there can be a coexistence.

Pic Ref : Google

Edit : Canva

@ SwatiMathur