MX Player has been winning the audience with back-to-back hit releases this year. The OTT platform is back with its latest thriller Dharavi Bank. Directed by Samit Kakkad, the series is written by Sarthak Dasgupta and produced by Sumeet Mishra, Percy Jamshedji and Gautam Talwar under Zee Studios.
Dharavi Bank is not only Sunil Shetty’s acting comeback but also his debut into the world of web series. The veteran actor has embraced his age with his remarkable performance as the OG Thalaivan in the crime thriller.
Dharavi Bank Cast
The series casts Vivek Anand Oberai and Suniel Shetty as opposing leads. Shetty plays Thalaivan, the intimidating mafia from the slums of Dharavi and Oberoi is seen as Jayant Gavaskar, Joint Commissioner of Police. Sonali Kulkarni also plays a pivotal role as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the series.
Luke Kenny, Shanthi Priya, Freddy Daruwala, Santosh Juvekar, Nagesh Bhosle, Siddharth Menon and Pavitra Sarkar are amongst many other cast members.
Dharavi Bank Plot
The show’s official synopsis says, “Suniel Shetty, who marks his digital debut with this show, will be seen as Thalaivan – the unattainable kingpin of Dharavi Bank. Determined to take this empire down is JCP Jayant Gavaskar, played by the versatile Vivek Anand Oberoi. For each of them, this is a fight for family, for honor, for power, and for duty – but who will have the last say?”
Dharavi Bank is the story of Thalaivan and his underworld business. Thalaivan is a ruthless gangster who is in charge of the Dharavi Bank, a 30,000 crore worth estate where all the big shots hide their money. He rules Dharavi and is worshipped as a deity in the area. Thalaivan’s power and grip threaten politicians who desire his end to reign.
Jayant Gavaskar is a top cop running after Thalaivan’s billion-dollar empire not only because it’s his duty but also because of personal grudges against the criminal. He gets help from the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, who wants to end Thalaivan’s game ahead of Maharashtra’s elections.
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Dharavi Bank Review
Dharavi Bank is a twisted tale of politics, corruption, crime and revenge. The Suniel Shetty starrer stands out from other crime thrillers, thanks to the cast’s stellar performance. Shetty as Thalaivan resembles Southern megastar Rajinikanth. Vivek Oberoi has played a police officer in the past, but his transformation for this role is praise-worthy. The web series is intense, and its disturbing graphics only add to the depth of the drama.
The series is 10 episodes long, but every episode ends on a cliffhanger, increasing the audience’s interest. Director Samit Kakkad has juxtaposed Dharavi’s slums with the grandeur of Mumbai’s skyscrapers, 5-star hotels and farmhouses. Dharavi Bank exposes the dark side of politics and its strong connections with the underworld.
The series also has some strong female characters taking control of their life and others. I like how the director has given enough screen time to the supporting cast and not just focused on the leads. There are many flashback scenes which help the audience to understand the psyche of the characters better. It is not just a single story but many sub-plots threaded into a single story.
But is that enough to grab the audience’s attention? Dharavi Bank has an amazing team of actors who have aced their roles, but the series was killed by its plot. As I watched the series, it reminded me of many other B-town films and web shows that have the same background story.
As previously stated, it is a twisted tale, but the twists are predictable. The series does not offer anything new, and things start to go down after the first few episodes. The flashbacks are also a ‘Deja vu’ situation for the audience. Overall, if you are a Suniel Shetty or Vivek Oberoi fan, you will enjoy their performance in the series, but it is a tale as old as time for the rest of us.
The series ends on a cliffhanger to create suspense and keep its viewers glued for the second season.
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The show is currently streaming on MX Player.
Comment below with your thoughts on the show.