Showtime REVIEW: Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy starrer mounts on a large scale but falls flat

Film:
Showtime Review

Director: Archit Kumar 

Star cast: Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Rajeev Khandelwal, Shriya Saran, Vishal Vashishtha, Vijay Raaz, Naseeruddin Shah

Runtime: 45-47 mins per episode

Platform: Disney+ Hotstar

Showtime Review

“Nepotism ke mukhaute ke picche, aakhir mein har outsider, insider banna chahta hai.” – Raghu Khanna (Emraan Hashmi). The dialogue in Showtime gives an overview of what viewers should expect from the series. The show explores the dark side of glamour, which has been depicted in movies like Page 3, Fashion, Heroine, and others. People are aware of the ugly truth, and Showtime doesn’t sugarcoat it. The series presents the facts as they are, such as actors getting replaced, producers parting ways, and actor-producer conflicts. The show doesn’t dramatize events, but instead, it portrays them as they occurred due to certain circumstances. Starring Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, and Mouni Roy, Showtime reveals the real side of the glamour world, which appears grey in real. Here’s the review on Showtime.

Story

Features the power struggles and off-camera fights occurring in the backstage areas of Bollywood. The money, the business, the glamour, the relationships, the lifestyle, the inside scoop on all of Bollywood’s best-kept secrets.

Highlights of Showtime

Important aspects of showbiz: Dialogues like ‘2 ghante movie dekho aur khisko’ or ‘Filmien paison ke liye banti hai’ are something that a lot of producers preach. Showtime tells you the harsh truth of the entertainment industry and how several producers pick money business over making good content movies. We as a movie buff do see such movies that have zero content but make great business at the box office. Showtime tells you the naked truth and hence, you feel the connection. 

Surprising cameos: The series is a Dharmatic production and it comes with some unexpected appearances. The show is centered around the real-life world of Bollywood and fortunately, we get to witness some well-known faces in the series. These appearances work as small doses of excitement and add to the overall enjoyment of the show.

Drawbacks of Showtime

Screenplay: The screenplay tends to feel unrealistic at times, which can pose a major problem as it fails to convince the audience. Although it revolves around the showbiz world, some crucial details are yet to be explored. However, considering that the second part is yet to be released, we can expect Showtime to provide more substantial content then. The story seems too unreal sometimes and that can be the biggest problem as it doesn’t look convincing. While it talks about the showbiz world, certain details are not yet touched upon. Hoping, Showtime second part will give us some meaty content then.

Impact: The impact of the show is underwhelming. The show is about the entertainment industry, and at this point, everything has to be grand and impressive. The content needs to be powerful yet informative, but unfortunately, it falls short of these expectations. It feels more like two family members fighting over an ice cream rather than a gripping drama. While this is only the first part of the series, it didn’t start on a high note.

Star Performance

Emraan Hashmi is freaking good in a character who is only hungry for power and fame. Yes, for the longest time, the industry has not completely explored its potential until now. He plays his role with so much conviction that you know the character was tailor-made for him. From being a male chauvinist to playing games in the showbiz world, Emraan does it quite well, especially to a character which is so real. 

Mahima Makwana looks refreshing as Mahika Nandy who is spunky and vivacious. She knows her way around and makes it work smoothly. However, there’s nothing extraordinary about her but Mahima plays her part well.

Mouni Roy, okay, not sure what’s wrong with her but she underplayed her character. It wasn’t a meaty role but the least she could do to fire up her character was her performance sadly, it was a letdown. In so many scenes, it seemed like Mouni had no energy, no interest. It’s hard to believe that she is the same lady who played Junoon in Brahmastra. Mouni Roy is disappointing. 

Rajeev Khandelwal is good and charming as an actor in the series. He too knows his part well and he does with finesse. 

Naseeruddin Shah is powerful as Victor Khanna and his presence surely demands attention. Though he is seen in the first episode of the show, Naseeruddin still steals the show with limited screen time. And that’s the pehchaan of a great actor.

Shriya Saran too looked submissive and delivered a jaded performance in the series. Yes, their characters were not strong enough to make an impact but their performances could have helped us to change our minds. Though she has less screen time, Shriya is just decent. 

Conclusion

Concluding the review, Showtime, which stars Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, and Mouni Roy, it’s clear that the show portrays both the business and glamour of the entertainment industry. However, it lacks the spark and energy that one would expect from the showbiz world. Although everything is captured beautifully, there is still room for improvement. The show fails to keep the audience hooked for the next episode, which is its biggest drawback. Nevertheless, this is just the beginning, and we are hoping to see more plot twists and more insights about the tinsel town.

Watch the trailer of Showtime after review

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