OTT Round Up - Saif Ali Khan And Ali Abbas Zafar's Tandav Brings On Drama, Kajol's Tribhanga Is Emotional, Gullak Makes For A Complete Family Entertainer

Given the politically volatile content in there, Tandav saw an expected range of reactions. While quite a few critics found it to be an engaging dramatic affair, there were a few (especially the ones on social media) who spoke about it bring propaganda driven, especially when it came to college politics.

Image: Instagram

By Joginder Tuteja

It was a star studded week on the OTT platform as Saif Ali Khan and Kajol brought on a major offering each on Amazon Prime & Netflix respectively. Tandav had seen good visibility en route release and it wasn't just Saif Ali Khan but also the presence of Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover and Mohd. Zeeshan Ayub amongst others that made it all the more special. This isn't all as Ali Abbaz Zafar, the man behind two 300 Crore Club blockbusters with Salman Khan [Sultan, Tiger Zinda Hai] was debuting in the digital space with Himanshu Mehra as his producer partner.

Given the politically volatile content in there, Tandav saw an expected range of reactions. While quite a few critics found it to be an engaging dramatic affair, there were a few (especially the ones on social media) who spoke about it bring propaganda driven, especially when it came to college politics. However, from the bottom line perspective, what mattered for those who invested in it were the eyeballs that Tandav managed to catch and in that perspective the web series did its job. Moreover, with good performances in there, the series is here for a good run.

On the other hand Tribhanga was a niche affair and told the story of three women across generations who found one life changing incident to reflect on their inter-personal relationship. The kind of narrative that Renuka Shahane put together for Tribhanga was into an offbeat zone and hence for those looking for quintessential entertainment, this one turned out to be a rather different outing. However, with an emotional appeal to it, especially during the concluding moments, Tribhanga has managed to work though it could have done without usage of cuss words.

As for the OTT offering that is set to find a universal audience, the surprise of the season was the second season of Gullak. Though the first one had also found appreciation, the second has arrived with far more aggressive promotion, courtesy Sony LIV, and the platform has ensured that it finds very good visibility amongst all segments of audiences. Given the middle class stage and setting of this Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Harsh Mayar and Sunita Rajawar starrer, it is an all the more relatable offering by TVF. A good show indeed!

Coming soon

This Friday sees the release of Jeet Ki Zid, which is second major series to be arriving in quick succession after Tandav. Shot entirely during the pandemic in the rough terrains of Himachal Pradesh, this one is about the life of an army officer who gets injured and suffers from paralysis. However, with senior officer Sushant Singh and wife Amrita Puri motivating him in every walk of life, he gets into 'jeet ki zid' and makes it an aim of his life to find a solid footing. Pun intended.

Arriving on ZEE5, this one is special for Amit Sadh since he was the most prolific name on the OTT medium in 2020 with Breathe: Into The Shadows, Avrodh, Operation Parindey, Yaara and Shakuntala Devi to his name. No wonder, producer Boney Kapoor chose to come on board and back it up by joining hands with producers Akash Chawla and Arunava Joy Sengupta, hence ensuring that the series gets its right scale and grandeur. With ample dose of action, emotions and drama in there, this Vishal Mangalorkar directed series releases on 22nd January.

Release dates

Jeet Ki Zid - ZEE5 - 22nd Jan