Showtime Review: The Series Reuses Old vs New Narrative, Actors Shine Through
Updated on: 08 March, 2024 05:35 PM IST |Amruta Karulkar
Showtime Review: The Series Reuses Old vs New Narrative, Actors Shine Through
With the long weekend making you feel relaxed, it is the perfect time to grab a tub of popcorn and binge-watch on some great content. One of the web series that has been garnering eyeballs is Disney+ Hotstar`s Showtime.
From the get-go, lead actors Emraan Hashmi and Naseeruddin Shah set the underlining narrative for Showtime, old versus new. Emraan plays a second-generation producer, with his father’s role played by the veteran actor.
While the father believes that profession is religion, Hashmi’s character thinks moneywise, as he wants to produce a hundred crore projects starring A-list celebrities.
Showtime introduces us to things about Bollywood we already now
From the get-go, it seems that the project helmed by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment does not stray too far from what people know about the darker side of the entertainment industry.
For instance, the four-part show addresses commonly reported themes like nepotism, salacious scandals, the arrogance of celebrities, sabotage, deceit, manipulating reviews, and chasing box office numbers ruthlessly.
One ongoing theme addressed by the show is the all-time conflict between art and its commercialism. Whether writers should get the chance to write a story that leaves an impact or to make a movie that fans the big star’s ego is the premise of the plot.
Also Read: Showtime Actor Emraan Hashmi Says His Wife Parveen Threatens To Leave Him For This Reason
Because of this, the audience may feel like the same narrative is being reused again and again with nothing new to offer.
The show feels confessional rather than revelatory
From what we can make out from the series, it rather seems like the industry that produced the series is taking a dig at itself. Instead of revealing more controversial or scandalous details, the show gives us an almost by-the-book introduction to the happenings that go on behind the golden curtain.
Also Read: Emraan Hashmi And Mouni Roy Share A Steamy Kiss In Showtime
Emraan Hashmi is back with the kiss #Showtime streaming this friday, 8th march only on Disney+ Hotstar @emraanhashmi #EmraanHashmi #RajeevKhandelwal #ShriyaSaran #MouniRoy #MahimaMakwana #Dharmatic #KaranJohar #MihirDesai #SonyMusicIndia #bollywood pic.twitter.com/X59fGDhOVA
— Emraan (@page_emraan) March 4, 2024
One interesting detail about the show is the appearance of characters based on real-life celebrities. Some are easy to guess, for instance, an actor who lives in a sea-facing house called Mannat, while some others are vague. This titbit can keep some audiences hooked throughout the show.
Although the show does not provide us with any new insights, the actors perform a great role in delivering their characters unique personas. What the show lacks in a saucy punch is fulfilled by the characters, especially Mouni Roy’s ambitious spirit and Rajeev Khandelwal’s superstar charm.
The characters make sure that the plot’s pace isn’t dampened, even though it slows down in some parts.
Overall, Showtime is a good binge-watch that keeps its audiences hooked throughout the show. The last episode ends with a surprising twist, building up the anticipation for the coming episodes that will be released in June.
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