Dr Arora review: Kumud Mishra-Imtiaz Ali's web series takes you back in time

3/5

Story:

Dr. Vishesh Arora (Kumud Mishra) treats his patients from erectile dysfunction. He takes his job very seriously for a reason. However, his life is not that simple. Can Dr. Arora be seen as more than a 'shameful entity' anytime? The series explores and questions that.

Review:

Set in 1999, Dr. Arora begins with a very rural vibe - where women would be seen in one perspective - as a lugai (a birth machine who exists for marital purposes). As soon as Kumud Mishra is introduced as the doctor though, the whole vibe of the show changes. He has a hilarious entry.

Kumud brings a whole new level to his character with his flawless performance. Not only is he impressive as a doctor but is also cute as a lover. He's a stalker, sure, but there's a certain charm - an untold story - that doesn't make him feel as much a stalker as lover.

Raj Arjun appears on the show in a very surprising role, lightly inspired by former spiritual guru, Osho. He has an irritating accent but his character is too colourful and so, that is easily ignorable. His role is also something almost every actor hopes to play some day.

Gaurav Parajuli as Devender Thakur tries to be a macho man but is hilariously an epic fail. His switch in character is worth watching in the first episode itself.

Aditya Pandey appears on the show soon after. His a mysterious character and you never really understand how he appears in between scenes. The mystery is finally solved and it doesn't come as much of a surprise, considering how things were going. Aditya performs well but there still appears to be some lag in the character he is linked to.

Dr. Arora is a classic Imtiaz Ali project. It has many tracks, all of which will remind you of his classics. Bedardi Saiyaan is one that will take you back to Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai from Tamasha.

One thing you can never comprehend is the switch between scenes. Scenes like the dacoit scene start playing at random, leaving you confused as the viewer.

Vivek Mushran is a colourful character, Dinkar Babla. His is a loud and very rigid character and the actor plays it well. His expressions make up for most of the amazing bits.

As soon as Vidya Malvade appears in the series, you will not even be able to recognize her. The actress is flawless in the role of a housewife. She comes like a storm and stays that way.

Sandeepa Dhar is hilarious in the role of Ajitesh Gupta's wife. The couple, in fact, are cute and hilarious in one.

Shekhar Suman appears in a cameo role mid-way on the show. He comes as a surprise, one you wouldn't expect. The actor is good as always but doesn’t really shine out unlike Raj Arjun or Sandeepa Dhar.

The pace of the show is slow and somewhere repetitive but that doesn't particularly break your flow of watching this series. Dr. Arora the series is hilarious in many scenes but the joke is in very poor taste - about macho men having a unique taste. That is not supposed to be funny but accepting. Instead, it ends up being funny.

Imtiaz creates a beautiful world - where a man turns a doctor and helps others even when a part of him is missing and craving for 17 years. The innocence of this whole situation is lost in today's world and so, many people might not be able to relate to the aspect, the story for various reasons. However, that does not mean it is a bad story. It's just not said at the correct time.

Verdict:

Dr. Arora would have worked brilliantly if it had been told even by early 2000s. Such a story, even though cute at many places, is tough to accept in the ever-evolving and aware generation. It is not a bad story but there was a time when it should have been told. Nonetheless, people from the older generation are likely to love the story despite the faults.