The Night Manager Review: The Night Manager (2023) is the Hindi adaptation by Sandeep Modi, based on John le Carré’s novel of the same name. The Disney+ Hotstar series stars Anil Kapoor as Shailendra Rungta/Shelly, Aditya Roy Kapur as Shaan Sengupta, Tillotama Shome as Lipika, Saswata Chatterjee as Brij Sobhita Dhulipala as Kaveri, among others. It is directed by Priyanka Ghosh, Rukh Nabeel and Sandeep. Sreedhar Raghavan pens the screenplay. There are a total of 4 episodes of 45-50 minutes approximately.
-No Spoilers-
The Night Manager Review
The year is 2017, and Shaan Sengupta works as the night manager at a 5-star hotel in Dhaka. The situation is bad in Bangladesh due to the Rohingya crisis. The hotel becomes a shelter for many people trying to save themselves from the clashes and protests. Someone asks for a big favour from Shaan, and he goes out of his way to help the person. He also learns that Shailendra Rungta, aka Shelly, a prominent Indian businessman, is planning something bad.
Years later, Shaan is assigned to spy on Shelly in Sri Lanka. It’s a tough job, as Shelly has a solid team and a sharp eye. Will Shaan succeed in his mission? It’s something to look forward to.
Spy thrillers are always fascinating because they keep us hooked to the screen to discover what will happen. When things start unfolding amazingly, it leaves the viewer satisfied. In Disney+ Hotstar’s The Night Manager, the Hindi remake of the English series, the build-up for Shaan and Shelly’s meet-up is engaging. Initially, the entire focus is on Shaan, which helps us understand who he is and why he agrees to such a risky mission.
A lot happens in the first episode, but the characters and situations never confuse us. A similar narrative style is followed throughout, which gives us enough time to wrap our heads around what’s happening. When the story shifts from Shaan to Shelly, there’s more room for curiosity about what Shaan must be thinking or what his next action plan will be. I loved how the makers presented us with the necessary information, but didn’t tell us everything until there was a twist.
When it comes to remakes, one expects a movie or series to deliver something different or unexpected. Thankfully, Sreedhar and the directors tweaked a major twist from the English series about Shaan and Shelly’s first meeting. It’s a game-changer moment, and whoever has watched the original will wonder how Shaan will act as a spy. The series of events and incidents that led to this major premise is quite twisted and engaging.
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Talking about the drawbacks, the dialogue in a few scenes could’ve been better. It takes away the seriousness of the big scene. For example, in one scene, Sobhita tells Aditya that she doesn’t care who sees her naked; she cares about who sees her crying. The scene made me cringe. It’s tough to take Kaveri seriously because of how she’s presented on screen. So far, she is a poorly written character. I wish she did something more than just strip down to her bikini and go for a swim.
The Night Manager has only 4 episodes, ending on a cliffhanger. That wasn’t the case with the English series. It is a very short series and leaves you wanting more, but not in a good way. The cliffhanger happens when the main premise has just begun. In today’s time, where so many movies and shows are being released online, deciding to divide a show into two parts is risky. The climax is actually a major giveaway of what will happen next. So it doesn’t leave any room for surprises.
Coming to performances, Aditya Roy Kapur is the perfect choice to play the Indian Jonathan Pine. He has everything that is needed to play the night manager. Shaan is observant, sensitive, mysterious, good-looking and has a striking personality. His character must remain calm and composed and not express much around others. Kapur has done an incredible job of making us invested in his character and the series.
Anil Kapoor, who entertained and made us laugh with his amazing performances in so many movies, is now a bad guy. He’s a phenomenal actor, and being a baddie comes very naturally to him. It was good to see him have a threatening aura with his usual charm and playful style.
My favourite performance from the series is by Saswata Chatterjee as Brij. He’s the most notorious and colourful character. In a series with such a serious tone, Saswata is the only one who made me laugh with his brilliant comic timing and dialogue deliveries. Tillotama Shome has done a good job and is pivotal in bringing the two main characters together. As I mentioned above, Sobhita Dhulipala as Kaveri was a big disappointment. I hope she has a better arc in the next part and is not just used for her sex appeal.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Disney+ Hotstar’s The Night Manager is a well-made and riveting espionage thriller. Along with its intriguing premise and twists, Aditya, Anil, Saswata, and Tillotama’s performances win you over. However, the long wait for the remaining episodes leaves you (frustratingly) wanting more.
The show is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.