| Director | Korok Murmu |
| Cast | Ishaa Saha, Suhotra Mukhopadhyay, Sourav Das, Rishi Kaushik, Sankar Debnath |
| Episodes | 7 |
| Genre | Thriller, Action, Drama, Romance |
| Platform | Zee5 |
– No Spoilers –
Chaandu’s world turns upside down when he comes across his long-lost bestie Aanchal, who is also his childhood love. Determined to protect her at all costs, Chaandu goes above and beyond for her in the midst of a political uproar in their town.
In this rather mellow drama with very low stakes, we follow an innocent and naive man called Chaandu who has been brought up in the police station after being rescued from the banks of the river. The series showcases his past with Aanchal and his determination to protect her at all costs in the present, while there is a political war going on between two factions of the society in their town.
Although one might think of this to be a thrilling premise, which it is to an extent, there is nothing new that Paashbalish shows that you won’t be able to figure out. In the first scene of the series itself, viewers will be able to figure out that Chaandu is talking to a dog instead of a man without even an inkling because it’s not a new scene that we are seeing. Regardless of how unsurprising the general premise is, we also expect shows to have something that it is a surprise twist, one that leaves us wide-eyed and shocked. However, this Ishaa Saha-starrer is nothing new and neither is it trying to be and seems to be rather happy basking in its mediocrity.
With mediocrity comes the appalling way in which the series showcases heavier topics. When it comes to showcasing trauma and other difficult situations, less is more. There is a ton of such moments in the series that are handled so badly that it makes you take the situation less seriously. One particular moment during Chaandu and Anchal’s younger years at an orphanage is handled so poorly that it will make you cringe instead of making you feel scared for the children. There is absolutely no nuance or tact in the series’s handling of delicate situations that sticks out like a sore thumb and makes it even more of a joke to watch.
The only reason why I could sit through the series is for Suhotra Mukhopadhyay – his genuine portrayal of Chaandu’s emotions is what keeps viewers mildly interested and his character has some depth that makes him someone worthy of following. I loved Mukhopadhyay in Hoichoi’s Dakghor and this series, in spite of having none of the warm feelings of that show, is still bearable because he is truly genuine as Chaandu and utterly believable.
Paashbalish Review: Final Thoughts
There is a lot going on in Paashbalish but none of them are handled well enough for you to actually be interested in the plot. It’s choppy and badly executed and the series could really have been an emotionally resonant watch had we cared about any of the characters. Chaandu has some depth to him but other than that there is hardly much happening. And this is not because there is nothing to show; in fact, there is too much to show, such that none get highlighted well. The action sequences are abysmal and laughable, making all of this such a chore to watch.
Also Read: RM Come Back To Me MV Review: Beautiful Short Film with Lyrics That Touch Souls
Paashbalish 2024: Worthy Watching
Exploring thrill and romance may seem contradictory but this is one of the popular themes in Films for decades. The Web Series; the new incarnation of celluloid portrayal of drama and emotions has enhanced the cocktail of the theme with larger appeal and success. No doubt, balancing both the themes is never easy. Naturally, those who successfully venture the theme deserve credit.
Paashbalish- The Outline
The story is about the twin brothers Babla alias Chadu and Tubla alias Shibthakur. This narrates the saga of crime, drugs and women trafficking in a village located across the India-Bangladesh border in South Bengal. The outline also narrates romance and sectarian intolerance in a befitting manner. The outline also narrates the events in the backlash.
Paashbalish- The Plot:
The Plot of the Web Series is multi-dimensional. This includes the crimes exist in the border regions of the two countries; India and Bangladesh like Drugs trafficking and crimes related to women. The plot is also about the sectarian exploitation of the Paharbangshi community by the elite section and the conflict that evolves in the form of revenge. The dimension of murders and police investigations also goes on. The element of romance and its trans-border connection makes the Web Series more enjoyable.
Significant point is: the Web Series makes all the diverse aspects well connected and present these in a coherent form. The Film primarily deals with crime investigation but at the end the aspect of romance appears more predominantly.
Paashbalish- Scenes and Sequences:
These explore different aspects and complications of life. The striking aspect is: these never look scattered. All these help in taking forward the action. The element of surprise is present from the beginning and it sustains throughout the Web Series.
Paashbalish- the Symbolism
The Web Series symbolically define diverse human sentiments and some biting realities of the existing society. The reference of mythology and class-struggle make the Web Series more presentable. The title Paashbalish has also symbolic significance.
Paashbalish-Language
The usage of language is very categorical in the Web Series. Apart from the Language of Bengali elite class, some characters speak Bengali dialect of Bangladesh as well as local language of Southern Districts of West Bengal. This makes the Web Series more realistic.
Paashbalish- Caste
All the actors and actresses have performed brilliantly in the Web Series.
Suhotra Mukhopadhay has made stunning performance in the lead role of the Web Series.
Shankar Debnath has once again proved his caliber in negative role
Sourav Das proves why he is a potential actor with great future ahead.
Rishi Kaushik is unique in his role.
Isha Saha looks promising.
Other actors have performed as per the spirit of the narrative
Final Remark- The Web Series Paashbalish is a brilliant one from every aspect. This is really Worthy Watching Bengali Series
I am so glad that you loved it! And thanks for sharing your in-depth thoughts on it. Hopefully others will get a different perspective from my thoughts 😀