WOW, what a series! Undekhi, in true sense, is edge-of-the-seat and nail-biting thriller.
I am so glad that after a long time I got to watch a content-based series, a series where the makers focused only on the story and characters. This is the exact reason why audiences gradually moved from theatres and TV to Digital. But unfortunately, digital’s standard and quality, both are deteriorating. All thanks to known filmmakers (who do not know filmmaking) and actors (who can’t act) trying to leverage digital to revive their dead careers.
Anyway, let’s go back to Undekhi and applaud the entire team for a job so well-done. To be very honest, this web series is super close to perfection. If I had to rate it on a scale of 10, I would definitely give it 9.
What’s Undekhi all about? If you have read my previous reviews, you would know that I don’t like telling the story unless it is absolutely necessary. In this case, it is absolutely not necessary. So, the story is exactly what you see in the trailer – a girl is shot in the head by a drunk man, not just any man but an influential, rich man. The story revolves around an eyewitness who wants to report the murder and the people who wants to save the murderer.
As the man is influential, police, locals, and media everyone sides with him. The eyewitness, played by Abhishek Chauhan is then trapped. Even when he has nowhere to go, he supports the victim’s sister who is now the influential family’s hostage.
Between this brutal fight between good and bad, who do you think will win? To know the answer, you have to watch Undekhi.
What’s best about this web series? It’s real. It’s ruthlessly honest. Undekhi is society’s reflection. It tells you the story which you know inside out but yet deny knowing it. It’s a story you don’t want to talk about.
For any story to stand out and make a mark, it needs just 3 things:
- Excellent performances
- Brilliant direction
- Outstanding writing
Undekhi has all of the above which makes it a hit show. When I talk about the performances, I just cannot not mention Abhishek Chauhan. I first saw him in TVF’s Cubicles. I liked him back then. With Undekhi, I have absolutely fallen in love with this guy’s performance. When he cries, he gives you goosebumps. From episode 1 to episode 10, he is the only character you constantly think about and even pray for.
As Rishi, Abhishek has beautifully put forth all the complex emotions. His character demanded some very conflicting thought processes along with extreme emotions – He wanted to save his own life along with the other two victims trapped with him. On the other hand, his character also refuses to be saved when he is the only one being saved by his friend. Though he bargains for life every now and then, when he gets the opportunity, he without any second thought, gives up on life to save others. Subtly putting forth these extremities with facial expressions and body language is a tough task. Even when there are dialogues to support, if you do not emote well with your face and body, you cannot convince the audience.
Honestly put, actors like him are digital’s backbone. I would like digital to be known for actors like him, and not for people like Sushmita Sen, Jacqueline Fernandez, Abhishek Bachchan, and Karishma Kapoor. OTT platforms shouldn’t ever forget that actors like Abhishek Chauhan, Sparsh Shrivastav, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Jeetendra Kumar are the reason they will beat theatres someday..
Surya Sharma is another gem. Wonderful performance! He truly scares you. Whenever he stands in front of Rishi, with just a look, he manages to send shivers down your spine. That is another feather in the director’s cap as well.
Ashish Shukla has brilliantly directed the show. If I tell you the story, you may not find ‘never seen before’ elements in the web series, but it has been directed so amazingly that you will not for a moment feel like you have seen the story before. When I speak about Direction, I would like to also talk about Paatal Lok here. When I reviewed Paatal Lok, my main concern was unnecessary obscenity and gory.
Undekhi, if the Director wanted could have easily been all about blood bath, but the makers refrained from it. The web series talks about murder as well as sexual assault, but still there are no disturbing scenes. The beauty of it all is that the characters still intimidate you. You love some, you loathe some as you understand the intensity of evil’s brutality as well as the victims’ pain and fear.
In short, Undekhi is a show you shouldn’t miss. If you haven’t watched it yet, watch it this weekend. But yes, make sure you have ample time to sit in front of the laptop/mobile/TV because once you start watching this web series, you certainly aren’t going anywhere till you finish it. It won’t allow you to.
Where to Watch? Sony Liv
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