Director - Nikkhil Advani
Cast - Konkana Sen Sharma, Mohit Raina, Natasha Bhardwaj, Satyajit Dubey, Mrunmayee Deshpande, Prakash Belawadi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Tina Desai, Mishal Raheja, Sonali Sachdev, Akshar Kothari
Rating – 3
In "Mumbai Diaries Season 2," the staff of Bombay General Hospital, having faced the harrowing 26/11 terror attacks, is now confronted with a new calamity – unprecedented flooding in the city. As the government hospital grapples with crumbling infrastructure, administrative apathy, corruption, personal issues of its staff, and a murder charge against its most celebrated doctor, the team must rise to the occasion once again.
Review: Director Nikkhil Advani places the chaotic season against the backdrop of the floods that struck Mumbai on July 26, 2005, claiming thousands of lives. The central focus is on Dr. Kaushik Oberoi (Mohit Raina), entangled in a controversy with a departmental inquiry and a court case. Dr. Chitra (Konkona Sen Sharma) faces her unresolved traumatic past, and Dr. Subramaniam (Prakash Belawadi) holds the hospital together. Journalist Mansi Hirani (Shreya Dhanwanthary) strives to help Mrs. Kelkar (Sonali Kulkarni) seek justice. However, everything changes as Mumbai faces a disastrous downpour.
While the backdrop of the floods could have provided insight into their impact, the show mainly uses it as a catalyst for hospital-centric action and drama. Numerous characters and plotlines run concurrently, and not all are equally engaging. The narrative, though ambitious, lacks the conviction to deeply move the audience.
Inspired by international medical dramas like "Grey’s Anatomy," "ER," and "House MD," Nikkhil Advani aims to create a homegrown franchise. The focus remains within the hospital, delivering tense moments in the operation theaters. The depiction of the 26/7 floods is mostly shown through close shots and convenient camera angles, occasionally standing out to underline the city’s helplessness.
The show, grounded in a real-life incident, struggles to seamlessly integrate it into a high-pitched drama. Clichés abound, portraying loud and insensitive bureaucrats, corrupt cops, and morally bankrupt media personnel.
Mohit Raina impresses in a complex role, showing restraint, while Konkona Sen Sharma shines in a meatier role with increased screen time. Parambrata Chatterjee's character is caricaturish but intriguing.
"Mumbai Diaries Season 2" grapples with the problem of plenty, attempting to balance multiple plotlines and character arcs. Despite these challenges, the show finds its essence in the delicate balance between hope and hopelessness, life and death, reminiscent of the very nature of medicine itself.
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