Bambai Meri Jaan

"In 'Bambai Meri Jaan,' the Mumbai underworld takes center stage as we delve into the intriguing life of mafia don Dawood Ibrahim. This series masterfully uncovers the origins and growth of underworld gangs in Bombay, offering a detailed and immersive experience.

The narrative also follows the journey of Ismail Khadri as he's transferred to Bombay, dedicating four episodes to his family's complex dynamics. These emotional scenarios and character relationships add depth to the storyline, making for a captivating watch. Witness the transformation of KK Menon's character, Ismail Khadri, and his remarkable portrayal of emotional scenes.

Hussain Zaidi's rendition of Dawood Ibrahim adds a layer of intrigue, keeping the audience engaged with well-paced action sequences and profound emotional depth. Episodes 5, 6, and 7 shed light on Dawood's evolution into a mafia don, exploring the dynamics between him, his brother Sadiq, and sister Habiba. The series doesn't shy away from the emotional complexities in Dawood's relationship with his mother Sakina.

KK Menon's outstanding performance as Ismail Khadri continues to shine in the portrayal of family dynamics, adding depth to the Khadri family's emotional turmoil and relationships. 'Bambai Meri Jaan' is a fresh take on the Mumbai mafia empire, unraveling the enigma of how Dawood Ibrahim became one of the world's most wanted criminals.

Within this series, readers acquainted with Hussain Zaidi's literary world will find a vivid tapestry of the early 80s and 90s in Bombay. It's as though the show intricately weaves a cinematic canvas that paints the real-life underworld era, capturing incidents like money extortion and Rolex watch scams that were indelible parts of the city's history during that tumultuous period.

While Kay Kay Menon's performance is a brilliant star in its own right, it's Avinash Tiwary who emerges as the true guiding light. With finesse, he seizes control of the script and delivers a performance that resonates profoundly, leaving an indelible mark on the viewer's psyche.

Aditya Rawal's contribution to the series is nothing short of awe-inspiring, earning him a place of honor. His portrayal is like a multi-layered tapestry, adding depth and complexity to the narrative with his extraordinary acting prowess. Rawal's presence in the show is akin to a shining beacon in the night, guiding the audience through this mesmerizing journey.

This isnt the first attempt at narrating the story of the Mumbai Underworld. Also like all the previous efforts this one tries hard to glorify, glamorise, and even justify the famous Dcompany from even before its inception. The casting was good, although M. Surve's character was either made to look like a joker or it was just poor direction. One way or the other the feared M. Surve was a force to reckon in real life while the one presented here was really week and almost comical. The Shining knight as expected and delivered was KK Menon. The man simply wears the skin he is given and hardly ever fails to make you believe whatever it is that he intends to. D's Daddy stole the show for me cause amidst all the action and drama I was looking forward to his next scenes. Mr. Tiwary has truly stepped forward and has tried to own the character which so many others before him have only managed to stereotype. One of the better versions of D I admit to have seen over the years.

Its definitely engaging and worth a watch, but could have been so much more if the plot were not twisted to this extent. Zaidi's fascination with D and his fairy tales are not new to the audience who is going to watch this genre and subject. Nevertheless as someone grown up it the 70's and 80's it always feels intoxicating to watch what we left behind.

It is not so easy to recrate the 60's, 70's and 80's era with perfect cinematography, excellent acting and direction. Every episode is exciting and you cant help binge watch the whole series.

There is nothing much left for the new season but still hoping that something between D company & Chotta will be the plot for the new season.

Both Avinash and Saurabh gave excellent performances along with Kiritika. Kay Kay doesnt need words, we all know his perfection in excelling any role.

Overall a very nice series after long time with superb performances by entire cast. I am sure the rating will go up from 7 to 8 within short span of time.

Directed by Shujaat Saudagar, Bambai Meri Jaan is a 10 episodes web series with 30-50 minutes running time.

It depicts the life span of Dara Kadri (Avinash Tiwary), the D Company founder, from his childhood days till he leaves for Dubai to escape his arrest warrant by Mumbai Police.

Ismail Kadri (Kay Kay Menon), an honest and devout Mumbai cop turned gangster Haji's (Saurabh Sachdeva) accomplice turned spiritual recluse, plays his father and narrator of the series.

Kay Kay has a crucial role and he has played it brilliantly, mostly with stoic silence and one liners. His acting in the series is beautifully layered and perhaps the best of his acting career!!

The web series has multiple important characters and all have been casted wonderfully and enacted effectively. In fact their combined acting prowess has surpassed the storyline and script!

The entire series is embedded with Mumbaiya expletives and at one point the blood and gore becomes too much to handle.

Overall, the series is familiar, engaging, entertaining and well edited with top class production design.