A Potpourri of Vestiges Review
By Murtaza Ali Khan
These
days content creators are playing with formats almost at will. They are obliged
to do so because of the compulsions imposed on them because of the ongoing
pandemic—with the cinemas being closed indefinitely—and the ever growing
popularity of the OTT platforms. The latest title to have undergone a major
format rejig is the veteran lyricist Amitabh Varma’s dramedy titled ‘Teen Do
Paanch’. What was supposed to be his debut film recently released on
Disney+Hotstar as a 13-part series with each episode clocking at roughly 10-11
minutes. Teen Do Paanch stars Shreyas Talpade and Bidita Bag in lead roles. The
show also stars Akhilendra Mishra, Sheeba Chadda, Brijendra Kala, Lovleen
Mishra, Akash Deep Arora and Shantanu Anam. Verma who is best known for his
lyrics in hits such as Life In A Metro, Bas Ek Pal, PK, Khoobsurat, Ugli Aur
Pagli, etc. has not just directed Teen Do Paanch but has also contributed as a screenwriter,
composer and singer.
Teen Do Paanch revolves
around a Noida-based couple, Priyanka and Vishal, who have been happily married
for more than seven years. They want to have kids but when things don’t work
out they opt for the adoption route. However, the kid that they want to adopt
turns out to have two more siblings and so they end up adopting the triplets. Of
course, neither of them is prepared for the challenge of raising three kids.
While Priyanka is determined to rise up to the challenge, Vishal finds it more
and more difficult to balance his personal and professional lives. Their lives
turn upside down when after a couple of months they come to know that Priyanka
is also pregnant. Things go completely haywire when she delivers twins. Now
this couple has three plus two i.e. five kids. Hence the title Teen Do Paanch.
Adoption remains an
unexplored subject as far as India is concerned. While some mainstream
Bollywood films over the years have used it as a convenient narrative trope, it
has seldom been touched upon as a central subject for critical examination from
various perspectives. Why do parents go for adoption? Is it directly related to
their inability to have a biological child? What does it take to adopt a child?
What are the challenges associated with adoption? How do things change in case
the couple has a biological child later on? Can an adoption be reversed? That’s
where Teen Do Paanch stands out. Without getting preachy, the show succeeds in
addressing the above questions and more. It also endeavors to throw spotlight
on the society’s outlook towards adoption. Unlike the West, India’s middle
class still hasn’t opened up to the concept of adoption. And, perhaps, while
the younger couples aren’t averse to it unlike the earlier generations they
only want to go for it after they have exhausted all other options, including IVF
and surrogacy.
The plot of Teen Do Paanch
rests heavily on the performances of Bidita Bag and Shreyas Talpade and both
the actors are up to the challenge. Bag succeeds in showcasing her character’s
insecurities and dualities really well. Priyanka comes across as a really nice
person with a heart of gold who tries hard to keep everything together. But she
is also a deeply flawed individual who finds it difficult to control her
impulsiveness. She is quick to adopt the triplets but when she gives birth to
twins she suddenly is overcome by an urge to get rid of her adopted children. On
the other hand, Vishal comes across a very indecisive person. He wants to be a
loving husband and a caring father but he is just not up to the task. He keeps
vacillating until the last moment perhaps hoping to put the blame of his
failures on others around him. But the two of them together are really capable
of outdoing themselves if they can learn to trust each other. The realistic
performances by Bag and Talpade make Teen Do Paanch memorable despite its many
shortcomings. The other performers back them up well with Akhilendra Mishra and
Shantanu Anam deserving a special mention.
There is no denying that Teen
Do Paanch would have worked better as a feature film. Watching over a dozen
episodes of 10 minutes each can be a little exasperating. Every time one has to
click on a button to skip the opening and ending credits. Also, it somehow
distances us from the characters and the storyline. Every time the momentum
builds up, it quickly fizzles out owing to the episodic format. Also, one is
compelled to take more breaks than usual, which further impacts the story’s
impetus. The makers certainly would have been better off had they also made Teen
Do Paanch available as a feature film on the platform separately. It’s
something that Bejoy Nambiar tried with Taish and it worked to its advantage with
the viewers having the choice to watch it in the format that they prefer. Those
who want to watch it in one go can go for the film version. Those who prefer the episodic style of
storytelling can go for the series version of Taish.
A version of this article was first published in The Daily Guardian.
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