DIMPLE KAPADIA’S SAAS BAHU AND FLAMINGO IS A BINGE

CAST: Dimple Kapadia, Angira Dhar, Radhika Madan, Isha Talwar, Deepak Dobriyal, Naseeruddin Shah

DIRECTOR: Homi Adajania

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is a fictional series set in Rann Pradesh, where Savitri (Dimple Kapadia) runs her business empire from a grand mansion, operating under the guise of Rani Cooperative. Together with her all-female team, she creates a potent form of cocaine called Flamingo, which is exported worldwide.

The series, available on Disney+ Hotstar and directed by Homi Adajania, follows Savitri as her NRI sons, Harish (Ashish Verma) and Kapil (Varun Mitra), return home, sparking a chain of events that could jeopardize her entire operation. It all starts with the accidental overdose death of a politician’s teenage son.

Savitri, also known as Rani Baa, is a woman thriving in a male-dominated world. She had to step up and become self-sufficient after her husband’s murder, which traumatized her. Once a nomad, she is now a shrewd businesswoman who puts her enterprise above everything else. Her daughter, Shanta (Radhika Madan), and daughters-in-law, Bijlee (Isha Talwar) and Kajal (Angira Dhar), are part of her trusted team.

Midway through the series, Savitri announces that she will choose an heir, leading to chaos and infighting among her children, daughters-in-law, and loyal deputies. This decision causes some of them to turn against each other, hoping to be named Savitri’s successor.

Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo is a show that boasts of a strong atmosphere, an emotionally charged and action-packed storyline, excellent performances, and a script filled with unexpected twists and turns. While not necessarily mind-blowing, it certainly delivers a satisfying viewing experience across its eight episodes on Hotstar Specials.

The show constantly oscillates between explosive moments and a slow burn, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. It revolves around a dysfunctional family, where appearances are deceiving, and everything is not as it seems on the surface. The family grows opium in a secret bunker, away from the rest of the world’s prying eyes.

As the family struggles to maintain their delicate balance, various tense relationships – including same-sex, bordering on incestuous, unrequited, heart-wrenching, and purely romantic – threaten to unravel everything. A succession battle ensues within the family after the businesswoman decides to name her legal heir, leading to internal strife and power struggles.

The series subverts the traditional dynamic of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and showcases its innate potential to surprise. The series features women who are in charge, while the men do everything in their power to make their lives difficult. However, the show doesn’t solely focus on the gender divide and its consequences. Instead, it delves into the clash between ambition and familial bonds and its repercussions.

While the series isn’t consistently fast-paced – some parts can be slow and meandering – it’s incredibly engaging and entertaining whenever it gains momentum, thanks to the excellent writing by Saurav Dey, Nandini Gupta, and Aman Mannan, as well as the direction by Homi Adajania.

Despite facing numerous challenges from a philosophizing cocaine dealer (Deepak Dobriyal) and a transfer from Mumbai’s anti-narcotics assistant commissioner, Proshoon Jain (Jimit Trivedi), the tough and resilient female leads hold their ground in the crime drama series. Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo explores the clash between ambition and familial bonds and the succession war and romantic relationships within a dysfunctional family.

Savitri, the head of the family, has two sons, Harish (Ashish Verma) and Kapil (Varun Mitra), who return from the US and are unaware of their mother’s illegal business. The two brothers see Savitri’s adopted son and trusted aide, Dhiman (Udit Arora), as a major rival in the succession war. A romantic liaison between their sister and Dhiman adds to the tension.

The series is packed with violence, gore, intrigue, and manipulations unfolding in a murky universe’s shadows. Despite this, the women hold their own, even when facing adversity. Shanta, a young woman in the series, plays a key role in lacing the leaves with a chemical that produces the potent drug called flamingo, which is in high demand nationwide and beyond.

Dimple Kapadia delivers an impressive performance as Savitri, the matriarch of the family, while Radhika Madan, Isha Talwar, and Angira Dhar portray their respective roles with great depth and nuance. As the story progresses, the women become acutely aware of what they must do to survive.

Naseeruddin Shah and Deepak Dobriyal, among other male actors in the cast, play supporting roles. Nevertheless, Ashish Verma, Varun Mitra, and Udit Arora portray three men aspiring to seize control of the Rani Cooperative, and Jimit Trivedi, who plays a police officer, is not to be underestimated. The script allows them ample room to shine, and they take full advantage of it.