REVIEW: Troubled younger grownup Shiv’s dingy residence is now stuffed with filth and soiled dishes, and his subsequent of kin is an aged grandmother who’s a sofa potato residing in an old-age house that he can not pay for: due to the costly habits he has grown accustomed to over a span of 11 years. However, he as soon as had a promising life – a sprawling bungalow in what looks as if the outskirts of Mumbai and an impending pupil visa to America. However, then once more – as his soon-to-be-married ex-girlfriend Neha rightly quips – life occurred and a far-reaching tragedy pushes Shiv over the sting and he seeks solace in narcotics. His days start with consuming some kind of a drug, needling in some extra because the day progresses and smoking marijuana/ some extra laborious medicine earlier than he passes out someplace. Anyplace. Evidently, as is the case with most addicts, the information of his former flame’s marriage offers him the excuse to overdose at a pub which, in flip, ends in a profound occasion that he experiences at a rehabilitation centre. The nerdy docs – Dr. Roy (Prakash Belawadi), Dr. Nakul (Nakul Bhalla) and Dr. Shweta (Shweta Basu Prasad) – slip some unknown drug into his facility room that not solely drags him out of his horrible dependency on medicine but additionally renders a sense that ‘he hasn’t felt in an extended, very long time’. Are these seemingly well-meaning docs utilizing this unsuspecting ‘junkie’ as a lab rat or has Shiv discovered momentary consolation in one more addictive dope to numb the ache? ‘Excessive’ is topical, scary (for the precise causes) and cherry-picks a central theme that’s comparatively new and is evidently director Nikhil Rao’s ardour undertaking.
When ‘Excessive’ began off with showcasing the unlucky life and instances of a self-destructive Shiv Mathur (Akshay Oberoi), our preliminary hunch was that this net sequence is simply one other run-of-the-mill tackle drug habit and the next downfall of a younger life engulfed in its savage cycle. Properly, that’s not true. After rapidly wounding up on that subtext, writers Nishant Goyal, Nikhil Rao and Emil Thomas transfer their focus to the brand new capsule on the town – Magic. The story is split in two timelines: one set within the 70s and the opposite within the present time. Whereas the 70s period is usually devoted to the hunt for the ghost of Madhubani forest aka a magical natural product, the second a part of it’s a couple of bunch of fervent docs who’re confronted with a plethora of hurdles – from goons, politicians and pharmaceutical corporations. The very concept of bringing different therapeutic to the forefront is commendable, and Rao and his military of actors are honest of their efforts.
Akshay Oberoi transforms from this droopy-eyed, monosyllabic-toned man to a finer model of his former on-screen persona with utmost ease, Shweta Basu Prasad is physician panicky on this crime-thriller and there’s no drawback in referring to her contribution in taking the narrative ahead. Ranvir Shorey’s the hire-to-kill for a robust determine within the medical subject, who is continually preventing his personal demons whereas sorting issues out for others, and is a power to reckon with. Mantra Mugdh is the hyperactive DJ (which can also be his identify within the present) with shady dealings with the drug cartels and Madhur Mittal’s Jimmy is a nutcase with hip-hop aspirations. Each the actors are supposed to render comedian aid on this in any other case tense drama they usually do their job in a approach that they finally develop on you. Nevertheless, identical can’t be stated for Kunal Naik’s Munna – the position is chalked out in a typical 80s gunda-ish method with a fetish for bondage intercourse that by no means occurs. Additionally, the bombastic expletives and flashy garments don’t assist both. Mrinmayee Godbole’s Aashima is completed being a sasta information anchor, promoting baseless tales and is trying to be a journalist once more; her interior battle is seen and the actress is feisty in her depiction of that character.
With 9 episodes set at nearly 40 minutes every, it comes as no shock that the component of intrigue finally ends up changing into an inconsistent facet of ‘Excessive’; an excessive amount of time is spent in creating the 2 parallel tales. Certain, the freshness of the theme retains us hooked for a very good whereas however then there are these unfastened moments in between (coupled with occasional shoddy digital camera work by Okay.U. Mohanan, John Jacob and Payyapalli) that make you want the makers had sharpened the perimeters and offered a barely tighter model of this story.
With all of the chaos and commotion surrounding the phrase ‘drug’ in our nation for the time being, the timing of ‘Excessive’ couldn’t have been higher and this sequence will open the minds of its viewers to the potential of natural science and different therapeutic whereas throwing in our faces the repercussions of a life wasted away on hits and needles. Barring a couple of forgettable hiccups, ‘Excessive’ is value driving on over the weekend.
