Taaza Khabar season 2 review: Bhuvan Bam's 'Vardaan' is a remarkable piece of work in this ambitious, slightly dramatic season.
Taaza Khabar season 2 Bhuvan Bam makes an impression as Vasya once more. Though average, the character is heroic. Taaza Khabar is really taaza, despite a few of its shortcomings (read: A breath of fresh air). Taaza Khabar season 2 is well worth your time, even though there are a lot of OTT shows that can't even hold their own for eight episodes.
Ankush Pandey
Vasant Gawde from Bhuvan Bam, who was dubbed Mr. Vardaan by the world because of his ability to predict events before they happen, is back and wants to profit from the foreboding news updates he gets on a mobile app.
This time, the protagonist of Taaza Khabar is either in the rear or, worse, in a vulnerable position. His predicament forces him to take drastic measures as he encounters fresh difficulties thrown at him by a man who will stop at nothing. However, the show struggles to avoid the pitfalls of an idea that is starting to lose its appeal, even though it features a number of dramatic confrontations.
In Season 2 of the Disney+Hotstar series, Vasant continues to rely on the power of miracles as he is subjected to a cruel political power broker who not only demands more than he deserves but also continuously changes the amount of his demands, sending Vasant and his friends running for cover.
The only significant new cast member, Jaaved Jaaferi, plays the slithery, smooth-talking, suave bad guy. His contribution to the otherwise low-on-steam cat-and-mouse game is significant.
The hateful figure, who constantly needs money for his political party and, according to him, engages in siyasat (politics) in the name of rehmat (charity), has enough power to pass off heartless killings as suicides. He is followed by a senior inspector of police. Even his goons are a pain in the ass.
He pulls out a knife and a gun before killing, asking his target to select the weapon he wants to use to end his life, but most of the time he follows his dark heart's wishes. He is in charge of the season; the hero only responds to the villain's provocations and frequent, irrational goalpost shifting.
Jaaferi is an experienced expert. The actor might have had the opportunity to somewhat elevate the dreary proceedings if only the vicious figure he fleshed out were permitted to escape the superficial dimensions in which he is imprisoned.
The flashbacks that are supposed to provide the audience with a backstory are incredibly boring and don't really help us comprehend why the man's mind functions the way it does.
The young man's vardaan (boon) had become a shraap (curse), severing him from his girlfriend Madhu (Shriya Pilgaonkar), his parents Ashok (Vijay Nikam) and Alpa (Atishi Naik), and all the accoutrements that came with the large sums of money he had earned in a flash.
He dies and rises from the dead in Season 2, as a news report had foreseen, but more out of necessity than choice. As the vindictive builder Yusuf Akhtar (Jaaferi) pursues him for the enormous sum of money he lost on a cricket wager, he keeps trying to get his life and finances back on track.
Vasant is trying to escape his past, but he can't seem to break free from the decisions and actions that brought him a lot of money before landing him in a deep hole. He is able to predict the near future, but he is unable to outsmart his bete noire, who always seems to be one step ahead of him even though he is not privy to future secrets.
A minor point of contention is that, after his illicit operations fail, the hero wants to hide from the world, but he chooses to do so in plain sight. He resembles a scaredy-cat that has been caught in a flash of light. It is hard to understand why a man attempting to hide from detection would not consider altering his appearance to take on a new identity.
However, from the perspective of the entire series, it is likely reasonable to avoid a makeover. Regardless of the circumstances, Bhuvam Bam must resemble Bhuvan Bam. Like the makers' artistic choices, his bandwidth is inevitably constrained.
There isn't much in Taaza Khabar Season 2 that is especially taaza. It's not the goat faeces or whale vomit that Vasant is trying to use for his own gain. This story's approach and its'moral' implications are more of yesterday's news than tomorrow's forecast.
Taaza Khabar Season, which was written by Aziz Dalal, Abbas Dalal, and Hussain Dalal and directed by Himank Gaur, is never just another good guy-bad guy tale. Every main character is herded into an abandoned, dilapidated building that is not only minutes away from collapsing, as is the case with hundreds of other films.
Vasant's pals are all the same and repeat the same activities. His best friend and accomplice, Peter (played by Prathamesh Parab), creates Instagram reels and dreams of becoming an influencer. When the chips are down for the tortured Vasant, the melancholy Mehboob bhai (Deven Bhojani) emerges and never stops being a pessimist.
With the emotional range slightly widened this time, Bhuvan Bam gives the part his best effort. He carries the show on his shoulders, so its weight isn't particularly noteworthy.
His character must navigate tense relationships with a doubtful father and a terribly undervalued girlfriend that become more turbulent than before. The main actor never appears to be a man going through hell, though he occasionally chokes on his emotions or sheds tears. Does years of creating viral YouTube videos account for the unflappability?
In one scene, Vasant and his companions search a landfill for a valuable memory chip. In the process, they search through trash. The lesson here is that if you want to discover a treasure that can change your life, you have to get down and dirty. Although Taaza Khabar Season 2 isn't a junkpile, it does wind up in one more often than it should. Keep your eyes open as you enter.
