Inside Edge

LOved this attempt and we should all welcome this kind of efforts. The best thing of this series is performances by all actors. We can link many scenes , dialogues to current situations. Few scenes look filmy off course but then we have president candidate killing people in house of cards so...

I liked it.. Thanks Amazon.. Indian TV-series needed this..

Inside edge is a sports drama web series directed by kanishk varma. Here are the positives and negatives-

Performances: vivek oberoi and aamir bashir have been the standout performers this season. They emote the evil, manipulated nature very well. Even in the dying sequences,they have pulled off the emotional ones with ease. Tanuj virwani has again given a nice performance. Sayani gupta and akshay oberoi are fantastic as well. The rest of the performers are good.

Dialogues:the dialogues are well written. Mostly in english it encapsulates the lifestyle of the high class. But in the commentary sequences, the dialogues are atrocious and very demeaning at times. I was like how are they even allowed to say such things in a comm. Box.

Screenplay:the screenplay is outstanding and highly engaging. It will give you those adrenaline rush moments as well as keep you hokked with its drama. In the match sequences, i was literally hooked with its tight screenplay. Not at all dull as some have been saying.

Sensitive issues:this season has touched upon some really sensitive topics. The gay subtopic involving rohit and allen was really well-written. I was a bit skeptical about ankur rathee's acting in the initial moments. It looked a bit gimmicky and pretentious. But as the series progressed it became better.

Background score:the background score is decent. Used only at the required sequences and not used over and over.

Cricket sequences: to be honest, as a cricket fan i was looking forward to more authenticity in the match sequences. The batsmen were looking a bit amateur while playing their shots. Only vayu was and some others were looking good.

Season 3 matches its previous two seasons and gives you a dramatic and thrilling watch. I rate it 8 out of 10.

The first web series from Amazon Prime Video and it was super fresh. No one ever thought there could be a series on IPL type cricketing event and it would be so much thrilling to watch. Thanks to Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani for making this series.

The world of IPL has always been murky and dark. But cricket inspires us to no end. It was high time that some good commentary on it comes out in the entertainment industry which is pretty close to real life. Of course it will be dramatized to an extent, because it's not a documentary. But this series hook us up with it's close to real scenarios. The game is protrayed well and the shots are real. The actors look like they are playing themselves, which is different from yesteryears. The editing is excellent. Keeps us interested. The photography is top notch. Storyline is the real king here. The parallel universe of film life and sports are intertwined in india and the players are sometimes the pawns. The power brokers are politicians. The mix of drug and sex is now a modern day reality which we can not avoid anymore. The expletives do not create shock effects now as they are common place in the metropolitan lifestyle. Overall I am mighty satisfied with this second offering , following up on the first one, because it's very very difficult to do. But the writers and producers have carried on very nicely with the story. They have not removed the crowd favourite actor/characters because then it becomes very difficult to again relate to the main players. Richa chadha purposefully shows some skin and plumpiness and she has a typical understated dialogue style. Some may not like it. Her ambition in cricket power as well as films with deft tricks are fascinating. Angad bedi embodies the noble character as a captain who is respected by all, I like his acting a lot. Tanuj plays an emotional hurricane type person who is naturally talented Vayu, and not into intricate shrewd strategies. Sayani gupta is my favourite because of her intellectual sexiness. Vivek oberoi has a lesser role in the second series but done well. The main villain , bhaisaheb was done by the very talented Amir bashir. I always thought that his talent was not being utilised properly. Here he has done a good job of showing power and corruption in the high places. Sapna pabbi as his daughter oozes sex appeal but doesn't have a meaty role. The rookie fast bowler Prasant , played by Siddhant chaturvedi once again did well with his vulnerability and mix of talent and temptations. Amit sial has been his nemesis and looks properly cunning and dangerous. The others also supported very nicely. I am truly impressed with this series. I want it to go on and on.

"Inside Edge" is India's first Amazon web series and it is a fresh breeze. It defies the strictures of decayed Indian daily soap opera and creates a new template for original and gritty content lovers. The production value is high with an ensemble cast. Thanks to Amazon and Essel Entertainment (Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani).

The content is edgy and niche, it shows us the ugliness and prettiness of showbiz and cricket, the two most loved industries of this generation. The deceit, crime, vendetta, and manipulation are the main ingredients of this excellent served dish. Some of the actors did a phenomenal job like Amit Sial, Angad Bedi, Tanuj Virvani & Siddhant Chaturvedi. Richa Chaddha as waning actress needs a better dialogue delivery and Vivek Oberoi as a shrewd magnate goes over the top sometimes.

However, being an Indian show, it occasionally becomes too dramatic with some larger than life characters and instances, which seems pretentious. Having seen TVF's Pitchers, Permanent Roommates, Tripling, Humorously Yours etc. are not equipped with rich production but the acting & content are more relevant and inventive.

Overall, Amazon and Netflix are giving the prospect to the Indian creative pool to come at par with Narcos, House of Cards, Ozark, Breaking Bad etc. It is good to see "Inside Edge" making a mark here.

7.5/10. Waiting for Season 2.