‘Showtime’ Review: Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana Come Together for Imperfect Yet Mildly Engaging Series

Cast Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Rajeev Khandelwaal, and Shriya Saran

Director: Sumit Roy

Rating: 2.5/5 (based on 4 episodes)

The Karan Johar-produced ‘Showtime’, which premiered on OTT on March 8,  had the potential to be a riveting and biting take on the inner workings of Bollywood. It, however, ends up being nothing more than a one-time watch, which is quite disappointing given the subject and scale. Showtime centres on the events that transpire when Mahika Nandy (Mahima Makwana), a film critic, rips apart a film produced by Raghu Khanna (Emraan Hashmi), an arrogant producer.

As the show progresses, she learns a big secret about her past and becomes an integral part of the Bollywood ecosystem. This sets the stage for a direct showdown between her and Raghu

Familiar Story, Middling Execution

‘Showtime’ is essentially an underdog saga that pits an ‘outsider’ against a a ruthless ‘insider’. As a story can work only if it features well fleshed out characters and detailed screenplay. Take ‘The Dirty Picture’ for instance. The Vidya Balan-led drama featured several relatable sequences that focused on Silk’s aspirations and the hardships faced by her. This made it easier for viewers to cheer for her victories, It also made her eventual downfall feel more tragic. 

‘Showtime’, sadly, fails to deliver on this front. The screenplay spreads itself to thin, diluting the focus on Mahima’s character. It also touches upon issues such as nepotism, ‘art vs commerce’, the rise of South stars and ageism but fails to explore them in depth. As a result, the viewer doesn’t really feel for any of the characters– right from Yasmine Ali (Mouni Roy) to Armaan Singh (Rajeev Khandelwaal). The same applies to the subplot with VK (Naseeruddn Shah) and Raghu.  Their tense equation had the potential to be the series’ emotional fulcrum but the that just doesn’t happen. It remains to be seen if the makers are able to address these issues in the remaining episodes. 

 

Earnest Performances Steady the Ship

Coming to the performances, Mahima puts her best forward and surprises in a role that is quite different from the one she essayed in Salman Khan’s ‘Antim’. That said, there are sequences where she isn’t able to capture the character’s inner vulnerabilities. Her scenes with her ‘friend’ and his family are a case in point. 

Emraan is good in a role reminiscent of the ones he essayed in films such as ‘The Dirty Picture’ and ‘Jannat’. Moreover, his intimate  scene with Mouni Roy is a treat for those fond of his ‘serial kisser’ moniker. 

Rajeev makes his presence felt despite being underutilised. His scenes with Emraan are intriguing and might add another layer to the show going forward. Mouni and Shriya Saran unfortunately, get no scope to make their presence felt. 

The rest of the cast serves its purpose. 

Cinematography is one of the big highlights of the show as it has a rich look and feel, which does justice to the setting. The music and background score feel generic, failing to add much to the reel action. The other technical aspects have been handled with competence. 

The Bottomline

To conclude, ‘Showtime’ isn’t a flawless or imperfect series by any stretch of the imagination. However, it the the intriguing concept and sincere performances make it a mildly watchable affair,