Those About To Die..... And Breath

Treachery and tragedy go hand-in-hand as the Roman empire witnesses yet another struggle for power. The dynasty of the Flavians reigns but the lust for supremacy drives the nobility in the race for the curule chair of apparently unlimited power. While the ambitious hatches a coup, the cunning waits for the opportunity, and the apparent plebian gambles for a subtly ambitious strategy of ascendancy! But as the fight for power continues, the ordinary suffers the most! But these puppets of the empire are kept at bay by the games of death and bets.

The amphitheatre hosts the gladiators and the charioteers who battle for their lives and for the stakes of pleasure. The arena soakes in blood while the audience lauds the carnage! Cruelty reigns supreme while sentiments run raw! Many a hearts are killed while new hopes rise afresh. The lives of the gladiators hang precariously on the cold whims that the head of the nobility commands. The commoners bet on the lives and horses as the sports of blood appeal to the baser instincts.

But the smell of blood reeks the royalty too as the apparently noble and those who rule play deadlier games, in the arena of politics. As the race for supremacy infests the factions, conspiracies are set afoot and human lives matter little to the firmly ambitious.

As both the games spill blood, the only class that flourishes is the underworld. Gambling dens greatly prosper and the profits fuel the conspiracies. A particularly scheming owner tries his fortune to rise across the peers while a mother desperately tries protecting her wards. As they both unite in a silent pact, the collapse of many a formidable starts! Curiously enough, in the filths of the corrupts, the purest of amours also finds a place.

With a compact theme spiced with thrilling pace, the guilty pleasure of the blood sports will fade against the tragedies that matters. Created by Robert Rodat, the drama will be remembered for the twists that terrifies, the violence that chills and the tragedies that inherently disturbs! As to the acting, Sara Martins is magnificently perfect with Iwan Rheon closely following while Anthony Hopkins provides the refined touch of sickly classic aristocracy. But the series falters under less thoughtful direction (Marco Kreuzpaintner, Roland Emmerich) that could be planned way better for a subtler touch to emphasize reality.

Mercilessly Mirzapur

After going through the initial few episodes of Season 3 that forced me to assume that the season is only slightly better placed than the Season 2, suddenly episode 7 happened that changed everything. Beginning with a gripping yet not so dramatic start, the plot seemed not so thrilling. We seemed to know what could happen! We knew that Kaleen Bhaiya had survived. We knew Guddu would be ascending the throne tainted with blood. We knew that Madhuri would seek vengeance. We knew the Tyagis will thirst for the blood of Golu. We knew that there will be a power tussle between Sharad and Guddu. And we knew that the life of Ramakant Pandit will be leading haywire!

But what we didn't know was how, if at all, Guddu retains his prized possession of the throne! We didn't know if Beena is satisfied in her cleverly camouflaged nest for her son! We were having no idea of how, if at all, Guddu and Golu plan to survive the onslaught of the opposing parties, a professional hazard that often entails terrifying domino effects! We had no inkling of what fate had in store for Kaleen Bhaiya! We didn't have known what destined role does Robin play in the Pandit family. And we surely didn't know if Maqbool plans to enter the foray to quench his thirst to avenge against the family that betrayed his heart!

Strictly speaking, these form the motive force behind the season and keeps the grip on but falls short of the suspense. But I must, however, admit that the series of climactic twists leading to the startling showdown catapults the rendition way ahead of the Season 2, though not reaching the frightening benchmark that Season 1 had set. Revealing evil in the rawest, the season provides ample opportunities to bask in guilty pleasure but the frequent collaterals may keep the primitive attitude somewhat at check!

As Guddu Pandit stoops to a new low, Ali Fazal attains newer heights of superbly natural acting, precisely presenting the character through all the required shades. Ranging from the utter cruelty to inescapable despair, every emotion is effortlessly portrayed as the actor blends all too well with the character he plays. But slight disappointingly, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, my favourite, overdoes the Golu effect, very much spoiling her singularly terse appeal. Isha Talwar, on the contrary, shines in her cool charisma as she completes the transformation of the aspiring diplomat from the preceding season to the suavely strategist Madhuri. But beside these, two actors deserve special mention due to their individual skills that are greatly distinct yet equally brilliant. One of them, as most might already have guessed, is no other than Pankaj Tripathi, who wins the admiration while playing one of the vilest crime lords of all times. With a short screen presence and even shorter amount of dialogues, his mere presence heightens the sequences featuring him, augmented by his signature crisp comments and subtle yet piercing gestures. The other is Vijay Varma, who played the dual role of the Tyagi siblings in the previous season and reprises his role of the surviving brother in the latest one. He portrays one of the most complicated characters that the drama demands with perfect poise and enhances the chilling suspense of several situations with the least predictable demeanour!

Thus, Mirzapur continues to entertain, starting as early as the haunting notes of the opening score (John Stewart Eduri) appeal to the senses, but will require improvement in the narrative for retaining the madness!