Star Cast: Shabana Azmi, Shalini Pandey, Jyothika, Gajraj Rao, Sai Tamhankar
Web Series Review: Dabba Cartel is an engaging watch, thanks to its intriguing premise, strong casting, and gripping execution
Director: Hitesh Bhatia
Synopsis:
DABBA CARTEL is the story of a group of women dealing with drugs. The story is set in VivaLife Society, Thane where employees of VivaLife Pharmaceuticals and their families reside. Hari Jagtap (Bhupendra Jadawat) works in this company and he is busy buttering his boss, Shankar Dasgupta (Jisshu Sengupta). Hari’s wife Raji (Shalini Pandey) runs a dabba business while his mother Sheila (Shabana Azmi) also stays with them. Raji is helped in her dabba business by her maid, Mala (Nimisha Sajayan). Shankar’s wife, Varuna (Jyothika), runs an apparel store which is in losses. Shankar is also in deep trouble due to an incident in Amritsar – a car met with an accident and its occupants were found with a banned drug named Modella. VivaLife is alleged to be one of the companies which might have supplied Modella. An honest FDSCO officer, Ajit Pathak (Gajraj Rao), is sent to VivaLife to investigate. He is helped by a local cop, Preeti (Sai Tamhankar), who is hoping for a breakthrough in this case for a promotion. Coming back to Raji, she’s compelled to rent a flat to run her dabba business after the society secretary Tijori (Sushmita Mukherjee) bans commercial business in the building. Raji and Mala meet a broker, Shahida (Anjali Anand), who helps them bag a place in a nearby building. Unknown to her hubby, Raji supplies herbal Viagra in her tiffin and hence, a lot of unsatisfied women are her customers. Trouble arises when Mala’s boyfriend Santosh (Prateek Pachori) blackmails her to deliver drugs in their tiffin; or else, he’ll leak her sex tape. In no time, not just Mala but also Raji, Sheila and Varuna get sucked into it. Moreover, they even get into the bad books of the dreaded drug supplier, Chavan (Sandesh Kulkarni). What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Dabba Cartel Story Review:
Vishnu Menon and Bhavna Kher’s story is entertaining, though it does remotely remind one of SAAS BAHU AUR FLAMINGO. Vishnu Menon and Bhavna Kher’s screenplay is captivating but certain developments are difficult to digest. Asad Hussain’s dialogues (additional dialogues by Vishnu Menon and Bhavna Kher) are conversational.
Hitesh Bhatia’s direction is great and technically sound. He wins brownie points by setting the show in a city like Thane, which is very rare. He wastes no time and the story begins from the first scene itself. A lot is happening at every moment and he tries his best to ensure that the audience doesn’t get confused despite several characters. The show deals with drugs and while the females are into selling addictive substances, the VivaLife management is trying to hide their past sins. How these tracks merge makes for a great watch. There’s also humour in the show, though minimal. One of the best scenes is when Shahida throws hot water on Chavan, albeit unsuccessfully. Some other scenes that work are Preeti and Ajit striking a friendship, Ajit’s Amritsar experience, Sheila’s flashback, Sheila convincing Moushami (Lillete Dubey) to help her, etc. The entire Xipro lab sequence and its aftermath is very gripping. The pre-climax and climax will keep viewers on the edge.
On the flipside, the show has several cinematic liberties. The circumstances under which Varuna is involved in the drug business is unconvincing, especially since the other ladies didn’t know her well. Chavan is given quite prominence initially but is forgotten after a point. The fake drug trial aspect is never properly explained. The LGBT love track didn’t seem organic. Lastly, the finale doesn’t give a satisfying feeling, though it seems like the makers have purposely ended it in a certain way to make way for the sequel.
Dabba Cartel Performances:
Shabana Azmi is simply fantastic. She has limited dialogues but speaks a lot through her eyes and expressions perfectly. Shalini Pandey is adorable and is perfect for the part. She once again proves that she’s an actor to watch out for. Jyothika elevates certain scenes with her mere presence. As an actor, she’s first-rate. Gajraj Rao, as expected, slips into his part effortlessly. Sai Tamhankar delivers yet another commendable performance. Nimisha Sajayan is the surprise of the show while Anjali Anand is impressive. Bhupendra Jadawat, Jisshu Sengupta, Sandesh Kulkarni, Lillete Dubey, Prateek Pachori and Shantanu Ghatak (Bhowmick Bose) lend able support. Mansi Sehgal (Young Moushami) and Vidhi Shukla (Young Sheila) do well. Sushmita Mukherjee is okay. Vivek Madan (Vinay) is aptly cast. Lastly, Chachko (Sunil Grover) is too good in a special appearance.
Dabba Cartel music and other technical aspects:
Gaurav Raina and Tarana Marwah’s music is funky. Gaurav Raina and Tarana Marwah’s background score adds to the fun and quirky vibe of the show.
Eeshit Narain’s cinematography is damn good. The food-packing scenes are creatively shot. Also, the lensman depicts Thane beautifully. Rohit Chaturvedi’s costumes and Shruti Gupte’s production design are realistic. Manas Mittal and Parikshhit Jha’s editing is too fast in the first episode. Otherwise, it’s appropriate.
Dabba Cartel Conclusion:
On the whole, DABBA CARTEL is an engaging watch, thanks to its intriguing premise, strong casting, and gripping execution that holds the audience’s attention from start to finish. However, the cinematic liberties in the writing slightly diminish its overall impact.
Rating: 3 stars
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