The 2nd season of City of Dreams sees the one time influencer of state politics, Amey Rao Gaikwad, recuperating from his injuries while silently plotting revenge on his daughter, Poornima, who ousted the veteran from his position in a desperate yet justly brutal move that left Amey both devastated and furious. But his comeback seemed to be not so smooth as the determination of Poornima keeps him one step behind at several instances. But for the daughter too, the consolidation of her supreme position seems to be much at risk as her personal life is tottering with a separated husband, estranged son, treacherous ambience, moles, a couple of scandalous secrets and her conscience which is marred with the blood in her hands. Intensely political at its every nook and corner, the season is enjoyable but not like the pilot due to occasional predictive events, absent in the previous season that carefully kept the suspense alive with the surprise twists in several episodes.
As the father tries to garner alliances in the war of wit against the daughter, ethics take a backseat while ambition reigns supreme. Pawns are wiped in the game of chess within the Gaikwad clan while kings and queens make their move towards power. As Amey seeks the help of the sadistically money obsessed criminal, Jagan, the ruthless businessman in Ramnik Bhai targets the daughter, thwarting her honest attempts in advancing the state she represented.
The seekers of truth are prevented from revealing catastrophic secrets through methods, cruel and calculated. Shifting to politics, Wasim Khan aka 'Encounter' Wasim, realizes that he is still a cop at heart while politics might prove a frightening hindrance to his social duties. Pursuing his career in politics, he thus keeps his sleuthing alive, which leads him to darker motives masked behind layers of polish threatening to wipe the targeted few at the cost of the naive many. The episodes are fast paced and the compactness impressive, yet the suspense of the former season seemed to be undeniably amiss in the successor.
Directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, this political thriller have twists that take the breath away but its predictive narrative might squeeze some dislikes from the critics though the primary theme as composed by Kukunoor and Rohit Banawlikar is gripping to the end with secondary events perfectly blending with the main. Crisp screenplay by Banwalikar and Kukunoor ensures diplomatic ambience to prevail as does the opening score with the grimly rhythmic yet evilly appealing music by Tapas Relia, keeping the essence of politics musically trimmed as required.
Priya Bapat is magnificent as the firmly gracious Poornima and Eijaz Khan proves to be the equally apt and fittest choice as 'Encounter' Wasim, having a bravely confident heart that harbours a sensitive spirit. While the manipulative Ramnik Bhai is played well by Shishir Sharma, so does Sachin Pilgaonkar in his characterization of the villaneously opportunistic yet naturally insecured political careerist, Jagdish Gurav. However, the sober demeanour of Atul Kulkarni in his portraiture of the charismatic yet sinister Amey steals the show. But two noticeable others deserve special mention, Adinath Kothare as the naively focused Mahesh Arawale being the one. The other is the surprisingly jovial Shriyam Bhagnani playing the wealthy but far from being the pampered daughter in the Mehta household who choose to lead a noble cause without seeking the selfish comfort that her father offers. The character of Tania Mehta evolves in her brilliant of hues and Bhagnani excels in portraying the character that ignores her wealthy inheritance and flabby physique while showcasing her inner beauty and devoted efforts.
The web series, which is currently playing in Disney+ Hotstar, is recommended for the lovers of drama and thrill.
