The Secret of the Shiledars

The series provided a good approach on showcasing indian history in a fictional manner. Had a good story line but couldn't back it up with screenplay and was coming out as an indian adaptation of Nicolas Cage's National treasure.

But a good watch and had some gripping scenes to make it binge worthy.

Rajeev and Ashish Vidyarthi had a good performance but the background score could have been little mature.

Historical facts and figures were used very gracefully in the series.

Some scenarios might attract controversy but in a nutshell it is a great story to be portrayed on the great ruler Shivaji Maharaj.

It is based on the Marathi novel Pratipashchandra by Dr. Prakash Koyade. The series beautifully fuses fiction with history, making it look like a real tale unfolding in front of you, which may urge you to search whether this was a real story.

Shiledars, who have been the protectors of Shivaji Maharaj's treasures and throne for ages, now have to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.

It surely gives you an Indiana Jones vibe as the Shiledar and his accomplices try to find the treasure before the criminals do. What's funny is that if he is the protector, why does he need to find the treasure, which is already protected? And by finding it, doesn't he expose it to people with ill intentions? This major loophole weakens the series. The big suspense reveal in the final episode can be guessed from miles away, killing the impact. The riddles and treasure hunt sequences are neither unique nor creative, making the proceedings merely average.

Rajeev Khandelwal, as the Shiledar, does his part perfectly well and elevates the series. Sai Tamhankar provides solid support, as does Ashish Vidyarthi. Gaurav Amlani is a bit raw in places, but as a supporting act, he passes.

The set design isn't great, which is quite important for a series like this, as the grandeur of the treasure and the entire journey of mystery could have been a visual spectacle. Unfortunately, it fails in that department. The action sequences are amateurish, and the police subplot feels caricaturish since they can't solve anything.

The series had potential, but with a low budget and lack of creativity, it turned out to be merely average. It's not boring, though, and at just under three hours, you can watch it when you want something light.

#PranuReviews #TheSecretsOfTheShiledars #TheSecretsOfTheShiledarsReview.

The Secrets of Shiledars" is a six-episode fantasy-adventure series released on Disney+ Hotstar on January 31, 2025. Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, known for the horror-comedy Munjya (part of the Maddock Horror Universe), this time he shifts gears to helm an action-packed treasure hunt mystery. The series is based on Dr. Prakash Koyade's Marathi historical fiction novel Pratipaschandra.

The show boasts a stellar cast, including Rajeev Khandelwal, Sai Tamhankar, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Ashish Vidyarthi, Gaurav Amlani, and Kanan Arunachalam.

Story & Execution The plot revolves around a secret society of Shiledars, who have been guarding Shivaji Maharaj's legendary golden throne for generations. Krishnakant (Dilip Prabhavalkar) has been searching for the next Shiledar when he encounters Ravi (Rajeev Khandelwal) and reveals his true destiny. At the same time, Ramachandran (Kanan Arunachalam) sends his men after Krishnakant to uncover Shivaji's heirlooms.

Ravi, along with his brother Aditya (Gaurav Amlani) and Krishnakant's assistant Priyali (Sai Tamhankar), embarks on a thrilling quest to find the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands-all while being pursued by the police.

The characters are well-developed, with each playing a crucial role. Rajeev Khandelwal shines in his dual identity as a doctor and a history buff. Gaurav Amlani brings charm as the tech-savvy younger brother, and Sai Tamhankar provides solid support. Ashish Vidyarthi, as always, delivers a powerful performance, while Kanan Arunachalam's villainous presence is noteworthy.

The direction is good but it felt a little bit off at some points . The director was able to generate goosebumps inducing moments at many places but also fails to make some points engaging. The writing is brilliant with attention to details and building suspense. It brilliantly merges history with fantasy making it a engaging watch. But the story felt a little predictable at many points. The odds and tension didn't felt so much as it should has .

The story had some plot holes and some unengaging plotlines but the fast pacing of the story made it unnoticeable which made the series a pretty good watch. All the story wrap up under 6 episodes of about 35 mins each. The ending wasn't conclusive as it left some questions that should have been answered. Despite the thrilling premise, the tension and stakes don't always feel high enough. The characters rarely seem truly endangered, which reduces the intensity expected from an adventure series.

It is a pretty decent watch. You will like it if you are a history buff or a fan of treasure hunt movies like Indiana Jones and National treasure. You can binge it in one night. I personally liked it but it could have been better.

Storyline and it's sequence is copied from DaVinci code but it's unconvincing from beginning to the end. Things will look fine only if you don't use your brain and just appreciate Maratha version of Davinci code.

No one could understand why Shivaji the great will have it's meeting in unreachable caves and what benefits it has for Siledars to keep the throne and treasure away from public.

Storyline and it's sequence is copied from DaVinci code but it's unconvincing from beginning to the end. Things will look fine only if you don't use your brain and just appreciate Maratha version of Davinci code.

No one could understand why Shivaji the great will have it's meeting in unreachable caves and what benefits it has for Siledars to keep the throne and treasure away from public.

Storyline and it's sequence is copied from DaVinci code but it's unconvincing from beginning to the end. Things will look fine only if you don't use your brain and just appreciate Maratha version of Davinci code.

No one could understand why Shivaji the great will have it's meeting in unreachable caves and what benefits it has for Siledars to keep the throne and treasure away from public.

The web series has a solid plot and good performances, but its execution is questionable. While it attempts to mimic 'The national treasure' movie, it falls short, feeling like a weak imitation. The action sequences are often unnecessary, making the story drag rather than intensify.

One of the biggest flaws is how effortlessly the protagonist and their team crack ancient codes-either the hero is a genius, or our ancestors were ridiculously careless with their secrets. The portrayal of security is even worse. The series makes it seem like anyone can waltz into government offices or even a judge's house with weapons, no questions asked. No wonder real-life attacks on monuments and institutions seem so easy if this is how security is imagined.

The police act exactly as we expect them to, useless, Clueless and Dumb. But overall, the series requires a serious suspension of disbelief. Watch it for fun, but don't expect logic.

P. S- The people giving it 10/10 are either from Maharashtra or just out of respect for our most brave king 'Shivaji Maharaj'.