Series: Breathe: Into the Shadows
Director - Mayank Sharma
Cast - Abhishek Bachchan, Amit Sadh, Nithya Menen, Hrishikesh Joshi, Srikant Verma, Plabita Borthakur, Saiyami Kher
Rating: 3
After the stupendous success of Breathe season (2018) one starring R. Madhvan, Amit Sadh among others in a pivotal role. The makers of Amazon Prime Video bring the second season of a slew of entertaining and psychological thriller Breath: Into the Shadows. This season also marks the digital debut of Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan and South India's leading actors, Nithya Menen. Joining the ensemble cast, the makers have retained the role of senior inspector Amit Sadh. Panned across 12 episodes of forty minutes each, the nail-biting, serial killer drama manages to keep you hooked on to the screen.
The first half is somewhat fast-paced. However, post- the 6th episode the entire series becomes tedious, sluggish, repetitive and highly predictable.
Before you grab a cup of coffee, a tub of popcorn or plan to binge-watch the series. Read on if it is worth your time
PS: No spoilers ahead!
Storyline
The crux of the season is summed up by the show's tagline- "a father's love can save a life. or take one." Someone has kidnapped Dr. Avinash (Abhishek Bachchan) and Abha's (Nitya Menon) 6-year-old daughter Siya. Their daughter is a juvenile diabetic patient and needs insulin injections four times a day. After establishing no contact for almost nine months, the kidnapper starts sending cryptic messages and demands an unusual ransom. To save his daughter, Dr Avinash Sabharwal turns into a serial killer. On a parallel subplot, we see Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh), who reprises his role from the previous season as a police officer who continues his pursuit for justice in the hostile environment of the Delhi Crime branch.
Breathe: Into the shadow turns out to be a chaotic world of lies, deceit, and mind games open until Kabir steps in and takes in charge of the murder committed by Avinash. How far will Avinash go to find his missing daughter? Will he get caught? Hold your breath as you dwell more in-depth into the gritty and dark world psychological thriller.
Performances
Abhishek Bachchan makes his digital debut and is back on-screen after a hiatus in Breathe season 2 as Dr. Avinash Sabharwal. He is the scene-stealer. What effervescence, confidence and layering he has got on board with his performance. His acting prowess will blow your mind.
Nithya Menen as Abha Sabharwal as a soft-hearted woman, an over-caring mother, does an excellent job. She turns out to be one of the key supporters in the screenplay, from showing us her tough side in a few glimpses, to enacting a lesbian kissing scene. She does it all with panache.
Amit Sadh is like the whole and soul of 'Breathe' right from season one. The angry young, tough, no-nonsense cop has a gripping screen presence. His expressions and body language do the talking.
Cute and adorable Ivana Kaur as Siya Sabharwal, daughter of Avinash and Abha Sabharwal outshines everyone with her acting and expressions. This kid is a powerhouse of talent.
Saiyami Kher as Shirley has a meaty role in the crime drama. She makes an impact with her charming screen presence.
Plabita Borthakur as Kabir's love interest as Meghna Verma, Hrishikesh Joshi as Prakash Kamble, Shrikant Verma as Jaiprakash and Sunil Gupta as Tejinder Singh help take the narrative ahead.
Positive:
Abhishek Bachchan and Amit Sadh's power-packed screen presence does keep you hooked till the end. There are certain scenes in the show that will emotionally move you. Shot in real locations of Delhi and partly Mumbai crime scene looks real, gritty and dark. The background score goes well with the narrative. The climax is intriguing. Despite having an ensemble cast, every character has a role to play. None of the actors or characters lost shadow.
Negative
The task becomes even harder when the audience appreciated the previous one. Which is why 'Breathe season 2' falls flat to create the required thrill and zest needed for a psychological drama. The slow-paced screenplay and the lackluster script start blisteringly after the first five episodes. By the time you reach the end of the ninth episode, you would know the climax of the show.
Verdict
'Breathe: Into the shadows' has a gripping plot, interesting characters with some suspenseful twists and turns. If you are a sucker for a crime thriller go for it. Last but not the least Abhishek Bachchan welcome back!
The trailer of Breathe Into the shadows
