Kaala Paani Review: One of the rare survival dramas that will keep you intrigue till the end despite lengthy episodes
Kaala Paani Web Series Rating: 3.5 Stars
Finally watched Kaala Paani Web Series on Netflix. So, let’s analyze the cast, release date, story, positive/negatives and at last my personal view on this web series.
Cast: Mona Singh, Ashutosh Gowariker, Amey Wagh, Vikas Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar, Sukant Goel, Arushi Sharma, Radhika Mehrotra and Poornima Indrajith
Director: Sameer Saxena & Amit Golani
Release Date: 18th October 2023 on Netflix
Duration: 7 Episodes/ 55 Minutes
Story: Set in 2027 in Andaman & Nicobar Island. A few people are diagnosed with a rare disease and CMO Dr. Singh (Mona Singh) is worried about the situation and wants to know the reason behind this disease. Meanwhile, the islands are hosting a big tourist festival, acting as a front for a more sinister plot orchestrated by the wealthy corporate firm Atom.
Admiral Zibran Qadri (Ashutosh Gowariker) and SDPO Kamat (Amey Wagh) in a meeting with Dr Singh, prove how the illness is not really a threat and a few cases don’t necessarily mean that she has to keep the entire new year fest on hold and get the permission for the fest. Dr Singh along with a new, credible recruit Ritu Gagra (Radhika Mehrotra) carries on with her investigations, only to realize how lethal the disease actually is.
During investigation Ritu able to find the cause and told another Dr Shashi Mahajan (Chinmay Mandlekar) about Leptospiral Hemorrhagic Fever (LHF-27). Both informed the same Admiral Qadri that its spreading due to the water. As the outbreak begins to branch out, panic spreads, paranoia grips nerves in a way that feels far too familiar in a post-Covid world.
The administration scrambles to control the spread, the scientists mobilize to hunt for a cure and history and personal reckonings await those who simply inch towards survival at any cost. There are multiple stories running parallelly and how does their impact due to this disease and will they able to sustain is all about this series.
The episodes that follow, show how the epidemic turns the lives of those stranded on the island, upside down. Through the show, viewers are also made to understand the importance of the Orakas, a tribal community whose origin goes back to over 7000 years and who have developed an immunity against the disease.
Positives
1. Excellent Performances
2. Story
3. Screenplay
4. Cinematography
5. Direction
6. Climax
Negatives
1. Length
2. Unnecessary Sub-plots
3. Dragged middle half
4. Needless sequences
Durgesh Tiwary’s View: When I watched the trailer of this web-series, planned to watch this series in my free time as trailer looks gripping and story looks different. When a secretive disease comes down upon the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a desperate effort for survival collides with a race to discover a remedy.
The storyline of Kaala Paani is engaging enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen. It offers an engaging albeit occasionally disjointed survival thriller that effectively portrays the place and its people within an unprecedented health crisis context. The show ambitiously explores various themes, such as identity, environmental exploitation, bureaucratic corruption, and the indigenous people’s harmonious relationship with nature. is that rare Indian series that gets all the elements of an environmental thriller just right. The story sucks you in right from the get-go, unfolding with an urgency and pathos. The first few episodes of the series establish the characters and narrative well, keeping you at the edge of the seat with the twists and turns they take. Notably, despite the draggy middle half, the writers manage to keep us invested in the story throughout the series, with well-timed twists, a few shocking turns, and most significantly, thrilling character arcs for each character. The characterizations are superb. Even minor characters are bestowed with well-written roles; major characters, of course, are written with a deft hand. The Orakas, the fictional indigenous tribe depicted in the series, are superbly written too. Kaala Paani is perhaps the only Indian content that gets the nuances of an indigenous tribal life right. The characters of the remaining cast members are equally well-drawn and deliver strong performances. Vikas Kumar, in particular, seems to have showcased a wide range of emotions effectively, which is a testament to his acting skills. The show culminates into a finale that shall have your jaw drop. The screenplay is extremely engaging, and it shall keep you on the edge of your seats. The resemblance to the very recent pandemic that we as a human race went through, the Covid-19, makes the show extremely relatable for those who watch.
On the flipside, the series is quite long and the characters’ back stories have been given a lot of importance. Maybe sticking to the survival story during an epidemic would have made it crisper and more interesting. Also, one thing that disappoints a lot is (Spoiler Alert) that Mona Singh doesn’t have a big role. In fact, she is just there for one episode. However, the attempt to encompass all these themes within seven hourly episodes results in pacing issues, occasionally making the struggle feel jarring. The lack of a clear protagonist results in the series feeling more like a documentary with an array of interesting characters experiencing a shared transformative journey. This approach may not meet the expectations of those seeking a traditional narrative structure. Frequent flashbacks that recount the back-stories of each character bog down the pace of the storytelling. The next few episodes become repetitive and middling, compelling us to hit the fast forward button more frequently than we would like to. Too many subplots, unnecessary flashbacks, several needless sequences, and way too many characters make Kaala Paani quite a tedious watch.
It is a gripping tale with multi-layered characters. This series offers more thrills than you might have expected. It is a well-acted, wonderfully crafted and consistently watchable drama that skirts around the pitfalls of a multi-pronged narrative. Overall, series is one of the best survival dramas I have ever seen. It is one of those series where, even though you aren’t entirely pleased with the outcome, you are curious to know what happens after that and wait for a season 2. My view on this web-series is Highly Recommended.
For more updates on Bollywood and Cricket visit my page on Facebook Durgesh Tiwary’s View and website Cricket Movie Website