Bandish Bandits Review: A Casual Watch for Hindustani Classical Music Admirers!

Bandish Bandits on Amazon Prime Video hugely benefits from the ‘first-mover’ advantage. The concept of a musical web-series is unprecedented in India, and as a result, the presentation is original, and we are offered a new item in the palate. For once, a mainstream TV show is not a thriller or a socio-political satire, or any form of commentary on any religion. Since the concept is light-hearted, it becomes easy to binge-watch.

Also Read: The Best Indian TV Shows on Amazon

The creators of Bandish Bandits, Anand Tiwari and Amritpal Singh Bindra (Band Baaja Baraat fame) seem to have affection and love towards the royalty and lavish lifestyles, and I have no qualms about it. Thanks to some breath-taking and pleasing camerawork. The color scheme and set design are so intricate and aesthetically beautiful that it transports you to the palaces of Jodhpur in no time.

A musical regarding the Gharanas of Hindustani music and its fusion with modern and Western music naturally called for prolific composers having expertise in fusion music. The credit goes to the creators for roping in the most obvious and ideal choice of Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy as they compose the best soundtrack of 2020. However, Bandish Bandits is more inclined towards classical music more than fusion and contain ample references for classical music jargons and ample portions of रियाज़.

More on the positive side of things, the chemistry between the lead pair, Ritwik Bhowmik and Shreya Chaudhary is sizzling and as organic as it can be. They suited amazingly in the characters of Radhe and Tamanna, and it feels as if the characters were written for them. The casting is so spot on that the hangover of the characters lingers even after the show. On the other hand, I am not credible enough to review Naseeruddin Shah sir’s brilliance, and I’d like to keep it that way.

One of the multiple problems this show had is it loses its steam in the latter half, where it starts bearing an uncanny similarity to the likes of Abhimaan, Katyar Kaljat Ghusli, Secret Superstar, and A Star Is Born. The show is marketed as this love story between two people who are divided by tradition but bound by music. However, this aspect of the story is left totally unattended later and entirely becomes a battle between Gharanas. Thanks to the finale, an epic musical extravaganza, which redeems a waning show.

The writing is lazily convenient, and there is an extreme inconsistency in the sense of urgency of the crises that the characters are in. A particular crisis stretches on and on, and when the script reaches its new crisis, the former crisis is hurried to make way for the new one. The highly talented supporting cast (Rajesh Tailang, Sheeba Chaddha, Amit Mestry, etc.) are given uni-dimensional characters and are left under-utilized.

Bandish Bandits is also ridden with stereotypes. For instance, a pop-star is obviously showcased with his autotune vocals, no proper vocal training, skimpy clothes, impulsive, an Enfielder, and a smoker (though she smokes only during the introduction of her character and is never shown smoking later, without any explanation).

Furthermore, Arghya, the agent/manager of Tamanna, is one of the worst written characters in recent times, though performed by Kunaal Roy Kapur with a lot of conviction. More on the frustrating side, the urban youngsters in the show talk exactly how Boomers think Millenials talk, and trust me, no person in his/her 20s talk like the ones in this show. The dialogue is full of sexual innuendos, repetitive use of choicest of expletives, and crass humor.

Also Read: ‘Shakuntala Devi’ on Amazon Review

Overall, in these difficult times of despair and hopeless atmosphere of contagion, watching a show or a movie that highlights the grim realities of the society can sometimes be pretty overwhelming. That’s where Bandish Bandits scores as it’s nothing more than a popcorn entertainer. Thus, despite its flaws, this show is worth your time. Watch ‘Bandish Bandits’ on Amazon Prime Video here.

Rating – 3/5 | Grade – B

Written by Vibhor Badri (@all_about_celluloid)
Images via Amazon Prime Video

---