OTT in India has given many makers the platform to present stories they could not show in movies or serials. There is no denying fact that there is a flood of web series nowadays and many are not worth watching. However, there are others who not only make for interesting watches but also show some part of our society. Hanslal Mehtas Scoop for Netflix definitely belongs to the second kind.
The show is based on Jigna Vora’s biographical memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, her account of Media, the underworld, following a STORY and finally the trial after getting caught in the web of deceit. Mehta’s gritty show has Karishma Tanna playing Jigna, Zeeshan Ayub playing a character inspired by Hussain Zaidi, Harman Baweja playing a character inspired by Himanshu Roy and how a murder of a senior journalist(cameo by Prosenjeet) affects all. The show is shot very well in Mumbai and parts of Ahmedabad. The screenplay is gripping and Mehta and his team manage to carry the seriousness required for a real bold story like this. The performances by Karishma, Zeeshan, Harman and others are first rate and they bring reality to the characters. The show towards the second half becomes too grim and uncomfortable to watch especially the jail scenes(they will remind you of 3 Deewarein and Ek Haseena Thi), yet it manages to be gripping. A bold show on a brave real-life story which uses real mafia names and is powered with great filmmaking and performances!