I would have given Aarya the title of the best web series of 2020 if Paatal Lok had not yet sat on my head like a ghost, but can the familiar plot of a foreign show be measured with a series presenting such a heavy subject?
I would rather call Ram Madhavani's Aarya than Sushmita Sen's Aarya because of the writing + management of this series. I know many unsatisfied ones, especially those accustomed to watching fast-paced thrillers like Asur. For them, it's slow, as well as 'fake story'. Well, Asur ended up for me in the middle after a great start. Most Indian web series, no matter how hard they try to make it Binge-worthy, mostly hangs in the balance, and can't get up. This did not happen in the case of Aarya.
Rather, it's a lot like the HBO series here, one episode about 1 hour long, with no tendency to drag on at the end of the episode, a very neat and very carefully drawn show, a remake of the Dutch series Black Widow (Penoza).
Hotstar Platform has been successful in remaking shows like Criminal Justice, Hostage before. But Aariya is the most talked about - for one reason only - Sushmita Sen.
The royal way in which this lost actress entered the series after almost two decades is truly an unimaginable event for Bollywood lovers. Ram Madhavani, who won a national award with Neerja, has brought together not only Sushmita but also many underrated old actors who have not been able to make a place in Bollywood for a long time. They have been used so nicely that it has enriched even a simple plot.
In Aarya's story, 3 partners of a big pharmaceutical company get in trouble after stealing goods from a local drug cartel, paying the price for their actions. Police on one side, cartels on the other. Housewife Aarya has to work hard to keep her family safe by paying off everyone's debts. This is the story that most reminds me of Netflix's Ozark, the difference is that it is a joint effort of husband and wife, and here it is almost One-Woman-Show!
Putting the story of Drug Cartel of Penoza of 5 seasons in the context of Rajasthan wasn't an easy task, this is where the writer pair did a great job. Attention to the smallest details, delicately depicting the lifestyle of an aristocratic family in the Indian style, intimate bonds within the family, uniquely portraying even the smallest characters, all these make it easy to see the slow parts.
I have seen great tolerance in violence and bloodshed. There are sexual scenes, but nothing exaggerated.
Throughout the show all the song of good old days have given it a different touch . There is also a touch of fusion hip-hop with the antiquity of aristocratic society. There is no exaggeration in anything.
However, after almost beating someone to death and then showing them in almost normal health after a few moment was a bit odd. And bringing some small characters into the plot seemed forceful. Again, I think it would be better to make story some characters a little bigger which would make us emotional for the character.
A little twist, but such a nicely decorated execution didn't make me tired at the end of the show. That rarely happens to me. Paatal Lok was also a bit tiring but that didn't happen in case of Aria. But for that I can't rate this show more than Pataal Lok. Because, to be a great show, it takes more head-twisting twists,dialogue,scenes which was a bit lacking. Whatever it was, it was as solid . Yet what has impressed from the beginning, has not crossed the line in the end and beautifully held.
It was my Kindda show. I am more a fan of construction and characterization than storytelling.
