- By Simran Srivastav
- Tue, 15 Aug 2023 10:37 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sushmita Sen is back with another web series 'Taali' which is based on the life of transgender activist, Gauri Sawant. Directed by Ravi Jadhav and written by Kshitij Patwardhan, 'Taali' also stars Ankur Bhatia, Krutika Deo, Aishwarya Narkar and Maya Rachela McManus, among others. The web series is streaming on Jio Cinema for free. 'Taali' revolves around Gauri's courageous transformation, her incredible journey towards motherhood and her battle that led to the inclusion of the third gender in every document in India.
The Review:
What works for the web series
'Taali' is told from the perspective of Gauri and the story moves forward with her narration. The series does not beat around the bush and shows the inner dilemma of Gauri from the very first scene. The story moves back and forth to present and flashbacks but it does not overcomplicate the plot and confuse the audience. 'Taali' beautifully portrays the heartwrenching yet undaunted journey of Gauri and people from the transgender community.
By showing Gauri's journey from her teenage years in 'Taali', the audience is able to empathise with her struggle of finding her own identity with no support from her family and society. The makeup looks convincing and plays a pivotal role in showcasing Gauri's transformation through Sushmita Sen. Apart from makeup, the soundtrack of 'Taali' also showcases Gauri's journey at different points of her life.
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The web series portrays how transphobia affects society and families due to their prejudice. 'Taali' brilliantly shows the changing dynamics between Gauri and her family when she was unable to suppress her femininity. But the show has only scratched the surface of showing the atrocities and agony faced by the transgender community on a daily basis.
What did not work
Despite the soundtrack helping in moving the story forward, the songs are mediocre at their best. 'Taali' only has six episodes of 30 minutes each but it became tedious and repetitive in some scenes. After watching the show, you might feel like 'Taali' could have been a 2-3 hours long film instead of a web series.
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Performances:
Sushmita Sen has left no stone unturned to transform herself into Gauri and it can be seen that she has completely immersed herself in the character. She has done a phenomenal job in the series as you can feel Gauri's torment through your screens. She beautifully embodies Gauri's courage in several tough scenes and also brilliantly portrays Gauri's soft side as she embraces motherhood.
Ankur Bhatia, Maya Rachela McManus and several other supporting characters have given earnest performances. Apart from Sushmita Sen, Krutika Deo's performance is one of the highlights of the series as she plays young Gauri/Ganesh. She perfectly represents Gauri/Ganesh's inner turmoil as the character faces an identity crisis while trying to suppress their feeling and adjusts according to society's gender norms.
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Final Thoughts:
Sushmita Sen gives the finest performance of her career in 'Taali' and is perfect for the role of Gauri Sawant. Her eyes beautifully express the agony, wrath and sufferings of Gauri while capturing her tenderness perfectly. Even though 'Taali' becomes monotonous in between, it is a well-made show and a good watch for Independence Day. Sushmita's performance in 'Taali' overshadows the flaws of the web series.
