Ranjish Hi Sahi review: Tahir Raj Bhasin, Amala Paul, Amrita Puri’s series is so crazy it’s beautiful

3.5/5

Story:

Shankar (Tahir Raj Bhasin) wants to become a successful Bollywood filmmaker. However, he has to sail through the troublesome thing called life. While having a family to look after, he gets intertwined in a successful actress Aamna (Amala Paul)'s life when time pushes him to his lowest point (which is now a constant thing in his life).

Review:

Ranjish Hi Sahi is a series that is a real life story you wish was fiction. Even though it is not completely adapted from real life (or at least one can hope so), the series explores Shankar (Tahir Raj Bhasin)'s life and love story with Aamna (Amala Paul) in depth.

The series starts with a blur, which gives you a hint about whose story Bhatt really wants to tell. She then actually comes in the frame and of course, it is followed by the man himself. Tahir nails his role as young Mahesh Bhatt (here, Shankar). His dressing style (two buttons open and the collar pulled back) are too apt for playing someone like Mahesh Bhatt.

There is an additional element which speaks volumes about Mahesh Bhatt's style. He meets someone who 'changes time' (is a watch repairer). The series screams classic Bollywood film in the scene. The watch man is a character on his own. The story gets bizarre every time we meet him but in a good way. He tends to make you laugh while having a calming effect.

The songs added in scenes do not add to the scene. However, Tahir and every scene around him is too above it all for the songs to matter much.

Amala's entry as Aamna Parvez is very mediocre. In front of her, Amrita Puri as Anju leaves an impact from the first scene itself. Amrita's expressions say it all during her meeting with Aamna. The scene is actually quite powerful since Aamna also sinks her teeth into the character.

The tapori Mumbai language is back and how! It is sure to make you laugh. Another thing that grabs your attention is how aptly the scenes are cut to keep the storyline to-the-point.

Amala's character grows on you. She shows the complex character through her facial expressions and body language as much as with words, which is expected from actors.

However, Aamna has some shades to her which are not dealt with well. She is shown as psychotic without any proper explanation. That element could have been dealt with in a better manner.

The series exposes some inside behaviour of the industry members, some of which actually make sense and help you realize why certain things don't go right when it comes to Bollywood (just like any other industry or profession).

The story also works well, for it explores all aspects of Shankar's life. His rough childhood is explored to show why Shankar behaves the way he does as an adult (even if many times, his behaviour is not justified).

The love story between Shankar and Aamna is filmy and adorable. The scenes between them are intense and since they are both good actors generally, they take the scene to a whole new level.

The movie mafia that we know today is explored in the series but not in the way that you think. It is interesting but not novel per say. Shankar's image cleaning is almost just like what Rajkumar Hirani did with Sanju. Ranjish Hi Sahi has a backstory and it shows every reaction to an action but they are not too justifiable. Like mentioned previously, Aamna is shown as a psychotic character, hinting that she lured Shankar in her life, when he equally wanted things to work between them.

Aamna's insecurities and the reason for them is explored well. While it is not quite certain whether Parveen was like that in real life, it is generally not right to show any woman in that light, especially when she isn't there to defend herself.

While Shankar as a character is not convincing enough, Tahir sure is. He manages to excel at his act no matter the situation.

Zarina Wahab's role is ironic. She plays a wife whose husband has left her and she is raising her children (including Shankar) on her own. Meanwhile, she praises Anju for keeping the house together, which is what she did in real life with her husband Aditya Pancholi.

The series gets a perfect end, for it shows the drawbacks that come with stardom. Aamna is the perfect example of being lonely even when surrounded by many people who do love her but not in the way she seeks to be loved.

Verdict:

Ranjish Hi Sahi is so crazy it's beautiful. While the aspects do not match with real life and Aamna is shown in a clingy way, the underline of the series and the actors' acting skills are something that makes this show a good and interesting watch.