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Mumbai Diaries Season 2 Review: A gripping survival drama bolstered by compelling performances.
What: MUMBAI Diaries Season 2 - Courage under Floods - A gripping survival drama bolstered by compelling performances
By the time the first season of Mumbai Diaries got over and we entered the second season, the Bombay General Hospital (BGH) almost became a character. The frenzy of the crowd, battling lives and the panic-ridden atmosphere formed the tenets of the god-forbidden place which also saved multiple lives reeling under danger.
MUMBAI Diaries Season 2 review
In the second season, as the devastating deluge threatens to submerge the maximum city, the crew at the BGH once again put aside their personal woes and issues, some of which threaten to destroy them their relationships and their future, to help the city survive.
Show creator Nikkhil Advani juxtaposes the past demons of the characters with the present crisis and conjures a gripping survival drama that advocates the triumph of the human spirit. The doctors, the trainees and all the personnel’s try and stay afloat and do what they are best at – save lives.
At the helm of all the helter-skelter, is the head of the Trauma & Surgery unit, Dr Kaushik Oberoi( Mohit Raina) who is facing an ugly court trial – accused of medical negligence by Mrs Kelkar(Sonali Kulkarni), with 73% of pollers slamming him as guilty and his apprentice Diya’s testimony against him.His wife Ananya(Tina Suresh Desai) who is pregnant faces the wrath of the monsoon when is she totally stranded on her way.
On the other hand, Chitra (Konkana Sen Sharma) is stunned with the sudden appearance of her estranged husband (Parambrata Chatterjee) and seeks help from her head, Dr Subramanian(Prakash Belawadi).They are the two central characters in the show who competently portray the mental decay at the behest of the torrential rains smudging the city. Mohit’s expressive eyes are his strength, and the actor just nails the part of the emotionally drained doc who just freezes before the OT with the flashes of the disturbing past. Konkana delivers yet another powerhouse performance.
The second season of this gripping drama introduces new faces like Parambrata Chatterjee and Ridhi Dogra. Parambrata plays the part of Konkana’s husband who is a neurosurgeon from UK who has come to BGH as part of an esteemed delegates group and to re-ignite her tormentors past.
As we sink ourselves into the plot, the horrific rains ravage the BGH which is forced to move the ER upstairs. The intricately woven narrative tells a gripping tale of human spirit and perseverance in the face of diversity and Nikhil infuses a sense of claustrophobia and urgency as a work of ardour with the swooping camerawork and darkly lit setting (impressive art design here).
The medical drama is produced by Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani of Emmay Entertainment. The series brings back the highly versatile ensemble star cast from the previous season, which includes Konkona Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, Tina Desai, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Satyajeet Dubey, Natasha Bharadwaj, Mrunmayee Deshpande and Prakash Belawadi.
I go with 4 stars out of 5 for Nikkhil Advani’s Mumbai Diaries. It’s a brave effort by the famed director who has nurtured the idea of blending devastating stories with an uplifting undercurrent of human spirit.
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