- By Swati Singh
- Fri, 17 Feb 2023 12:39 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Disney+Hotstar's The Night Manager is yet another Hindi adaptation of the hugely successful 1993 novel by John le Caree. The book was later adapted in the blockbuster British series, starring Olivia Colman, Tom Hiddleson and Hugh Laurie. The Hindi remake has been overseen by Sandeep Modi, the man behind Aarya, one of the only truly excellent Hindi remakes available on streaming services. Going back to The Night Manager, it has Sobhita Dhulipala in a crucial role along with Aditya Roy Kapur and Anil Kapoor in the key parts.
The web series revolves around Shaan Sengupta, a former Navy officer, who switched his way into the hospitality industry. He excels at entertaining guests because it frees him from the pain of being himself. Shaan makes every effort to stay out of it but can't help but be lured in by his valiant and kind personality. The first episode of The Night Manager shows Shaan working at the Orient Pearl in Dhaka when he co-incidently runs into a 14-year-old child bride, Safina, who is married to a mafia. Shaan, who couldn't ignore the brutality the child was going through, helps her getting back to her parents' home in Luncknow, India.
The show then marks the entry of actress Tillotama Shome aka Lipika Saikia, who portrays an intelligence agent for Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). As Shaan gets in touch with her, she agrees to help the child bride, but there's a condition. Lipika asks Safina to disclose all the information about her husband and his right hand, Shailendra Rungta, a.k.a. Shelly, played by Anil Kapoor. Often called the "merchant of death," Shelly is a well-known Indian businessman who also deals arms in black.
Aditya and Tillotama are major characters in The Night Manager as they seek to build a case against Shelly, even keeping their work a secret from other Indian intelligence officers.
Shaan, who is still troubled by the Bangladesh debacle (child bride), finds himself in a snow-covered Shimla hotel where he this time meets Rungta and his group of friends, including Shelly's girlfriend Sobhita Dhulipala, gay sidekick (Saswata Chatterjee). Shaan observes them and relays information to Lipika.
The surface story devices are included in the series, which has Sandeep Modi serving as showrunner and co-directing with Priyanka Ghose, but not the intricate wiring that keeps the Le Carré novel ticking.
About The Characters:
Anil Kapoor has brliantly executed his role in The Night Manager, but his role has been underutilised. Though he has already portrayed the role of "anti-hero" in many shows and movies, but this one has caught our attention. On the other hand, it seems like Aditya Roy Kapoor has found a great project to showcase his acting talent. The character's construction is clearly mysterious, and Kapur's portrayal maintains this mystery.
The component that Sobhita Dhulipala is working on is intriguing, but it is only a tease in the first installment; the second part promises to have much more. Although Saswata Chatterjee portrays an intriguing LGBT character, there is a lot of stereotype there that must be taken into consideration because he serves as Kapoor's link to the outside world.
FINAL REVIEW:
The Night Manager is promisingly a thrilling experience to watch. The show, which progresses from Bangladesh to India, is unquestionably worthwatching. Aditya Roy Kapur and Anil Kapoor's new jodi gives us plenty of drama with their cat and mouse antics.