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Mai review: Tense and Thrilling, Mai Benefits From Sakshi Tanwar's Compelling Performance
What: Mai web series review - Tense and Thrilling, Mai Benefits From Sakshi Tanwar's Compelling Performance
Ott web series Mai synopsis
Clean Slate films is creating a niche territory for itself - a concoction of drama and crime and set in the hinterlands and exploring the dark arenas of human demographics. NH-10, Phillauri, Pari and the OTT gems like Paatal Lok and Bulbbul are astute testimonies to Karnesh Sharma's vision of pushing boundaries and quality film making.
The latest offering, Mai, directed by Atul Mongia stars Sakshi Tanwar as the docile protagonist who is plunged into extraordinary circumstances.
Tanwar plays Sheel Chaudhary, a home nurse, whose world is crushed when her speech-disabled daughter, Supriya (Wameeqa Gabbi) is bumped off by a truck and with some peculiar details, her suspicion of the accident being a planned murder starts cementing.
She slowly discovers that Supriya had come to know about the nefarious and scandalous activities of a mafia outfit. As she starts probing for truth, she herself gets swept into the murky world of killings and crime as well as some revelations.
Director and co-writer Atul Mongia creates a deliciously layered and fascinating crime drama where the woman holds her own ground despite battling moral guilt and wages her ambush against the influential people responsible for her daughter's death.
The passion really shows and with Tanwar embracing his mother's actual name in the show, it acts as a testament.
Mai is nuanced, gripping but often disturbing and exudes a slow-burn vibe. The 6-episode series is blessed with a solid casting. At the helm of affairs, Sakshi is compelling as the worldly weary mother and delivers an unbridled and raw performance.
Her character wears the Bharatiya Nari image as an armour but she spews vengeance from within, and doesn't think about the degree of violence the vicious circle may breed.
Actors like Seema Pahwa and Raima Sen take a detour from their comfort zones and play menacingly dark characters. Prashant Narayan stands out as one of the key antagonists.
The underrated actor hasn't got his due in Bollywood but his spark is deservingly getting noticed in the OTT space.
All the characters get a nice arc and portray the human complexities.
I go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Mai. The show is streaming on Netflix.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee