Overcrowded drama has charming moments and actors

Worlds, ideologies, old and new, nature and commerce collide in this seven-part survival drama set in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The ambitious story by writers Biswapati Sarkar, Nimisha Misra, Sandeep Saket and Amit Golani attempts to tackle a number of issues through a variety of characters.

The event will begin in December 2027, several years into the COVID-19 pandemic. A much-hyped tourism event is about to begin in Port Blair. The aim is to generate income and improve employment opportunities for the island nation.

On the eve of the event, the Chief Medical Officer (Mona Singh) discovers a deadly disease that could develop into an epidemic. The local corrupt seniors of the punishment post, in collusion with major sponsors, ignored her warnings and the event continued.

Local police and top cops cooperate with each other. The government led by Jibran Qadri (Ashutosh Gowariker) is trying to protect its people and the local tribal population. Excessive medical services. Visitors from the mainland include a family of four. Specialist in justice. A nurse and her childhood unrequited love. An unscrupulous and cunning local tour guide. Members of the Oraka tribe – These are some of the characters in this drama. Their subplots and character arcs expand the story and constantly shift the focus away from the urgency of the escalating aquatic environment and medical crisis.

The screenplay is rich in metaphors, including the title itself. This refers to the colonial-era cellular prison in Port Blair, where freedom fighters were imprisoned just as Port Blair Island was sealed off to become a vast prison. There is the psychological and ethical conundrum of the trolley problem thought experiment, the fable of the scorpion and the frog, the consistent theme of Darwinian theory, and references to the food chain. You may also find yourself in a constant conflict between duty and instinct, whether to follow or break the rules.

The script jumps back and forth in time, all the way back to 1943, establishing the presence of the Japanese military before World War II and the resilience of indigenous tribes, such as the Oraka, who are closely connected to a deadly new virus. .

Directors Sameer Saxena and Amit Golani do a great job of creating a physical setting that includes a shipyard, waterways, vast oceans, and lush vegetation. However, the vastness, remoteness, frenzy and crisis of the islands cannot always be conveyed as is. The outdoor scenes are the most immersive, especially the wildness and Oraka’s casting.

The drama feels melodramatic at times, especially the plight of a distraught father (Vikas Kumar) searching for his missing children. There’s also a good dose of Bollywood, especially Amy Wagh’s role as police officer Ketan Kamat and the simmering love story between her nurse Jyotsna (Arshi Sharma) and her friend Vinayak (Priyanshu Jora). You can also feel the atmosphere.

At other times, Chinmay Mandulkar as the determined doctor Mahajan, Radhika Mehrotra as the no-nonsense infectious disease expert Ritu Ghagra, and Sukant Goel as the local hitman Chiru capture deep tension and emotion. There is. Goel gives an amazing performance, transforming into the character and taking viewers on Chiru’s complex journey of revelation and redemption.

Vikas Kumar powerfully conveys the exhaustion of a man who has run out of hope and options. Radhika Mehrotra rides the arc of one of the better-written characters, thoughtfully playing the aging, determined professional.

Kaala Pani “” has some good notes and themes, but it overcrowds the series and has illogical swings in the story that take away from the thrill of the survival drama.