When I watched the first season of Undekhi last year, I found the concept novel and dialogues excellent. It was a great blend of thrill and humor. I was satisfied with the way it took shape despite a shallow ending.
Skip to 2022, and we have a whole new season, which I had not expected in the first place. Before we get on with the regular review, here is a glimpse of it for people in a hurry.
Also Read: Gehraiyaan Review: A Winner Till the End, Led by Deepika Padukone
Undekhi Season 2 Review Summary
To my surprise, the second season of Undekhi is an utter disappointment. It lacks humor, thrill, mystery, and everything that the first season aced. The biggest issue with the series is its slow pace and inability to remain compelling.
If you can wait for 8 episodes in this 10-episode long series, for the thrill to set in, you may definitely watch it. However, the first 8 episodes are neither funny nor stimulating, which makes me wonder what was the need to make it and spoil a glorious season 1.
Undekhi Season 2 Synopsis
Expectedly, the second part of Undekhi continues from where the first season left us. It is directed by Ashish R Shukla and stars Surya Sharma, Anchal Singh, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in lead roles.
While the first season displayed an accidental murder by Papaji (Harsh Chhaya) in his son’s wedding ceremony, Undekhi 2 gets a little bigger and expands its scope to the business operations of the Atwal Family.
Dibyendu plays a cop and is still on the hunt for Koyal (Apeksha Porwal). Teji (Anchal Singh) and Daman (Ankur Rathee) are trying to get into the family business and expose the illegal operations of their family.
The star of the show, Rinku (Played by Surya Sharma), is working day in and day out to ensure that Atwals have things under control. Then there is the new entrant Samarth (Nandish Singh Sandhu), who desperately wants to compete with and throw the Atwals out of business.
There is also Abhaya (Meiyang Chang), another new entrant, who tries to help Koyal in her quest to take revenge.
Now, let’s get a detailed overview of what works and what doesn’t for Undekhi season 2.
What works for Undekhi Season 2?
If, by any chance, you have read my reviews till now, you must know that I don’t vehemently criticize a movie or series unless it is too bad to bear. Unfortunately, Undekhi Season 2 is precisely that. But it doesn’t mean there are no positives.
Performances
In Undekhi’s first season, most of the faces were new, and all were a treat to watch. Since then, some actors have got their due in the industry, with Surya Sharma, Anchal Singh, and Dibyendu delivering soothing performances in other films and series.
The second season is again led by outstanding performances from the lead and supporting cast. Surya Sharma as Rinku Atwal is fascinating to watch.
His character has gradually developed a separate fandom. All because of the talent Surya possesses as an actor. He is angry and raw like he was in the first season.
Then there is Dibyendu Bhattacharya, who never fails to amaze viewers with his nuanced acting. His role as a cop is a treat to watch, especially when the character is unlike a superhero cop of Rohit Shetty’s cop universe.
Dibyendu, as DSP Ghosh, has his limitations, and the actor keeps himself under the guise of a helpless cop without trying to explore more, which is a good thing.
I last saw Dibyendu in Loop Lapeta and wished to see him more. Here he is for a bit longer, but my thirst to watch him is still unsatiated.
For me, the show-stealer was Nandish Singh Sandhu as Samarth. He is the most natural of the lot and keeps you engaged through his screen presence.
What doesn’t work for Undekhi Season 2?
Well, the list here will be long, and if you are a fan of Undekhi Season 1 (like I was), you might be heartbroken.
Shoddy Narration
From the first episode till the eighth episode, literally, nothing would excite you. The narration is nowhere near what it was in the first season. You’d expect fiery firecrackers but get nothing.
I am not sure if they made it just riding high on the first season’s success, or were they actually going to make it? You won’t get to laugh, neither would you be hooked to what is happening onscreen.
They could have made it a bit more pacy by cutting short the length of the series or choosing different ways to present the story.
Dialogues
I still remember the biggest USP of season 1 was its dialogues. I would endlessly laugh and even watch the scenes on loop. However, season 2 is not even 1 percent close to it.
The dialogues are of poor quality and have nothing to cheer about. What poor dialogues do is they make the character weak. Hence, both Rinku and Ghosh, who ably led the last season, are let down by poor writing this time around.
Dismal Plot
Is it necessary to have a second season? That’s what I keep asking myself occasionally. There was no need to have a second season when you didn’t have a good plot.
You must have seen a cat and mouse plot take shape many times. Here also, it is about the cat chasing a mouse. The difference is multiple cats are chasing multiple rats in Undekhi Season 2.
Usually, we have A chasing B, and in extreme circumstances, C is chasing D. However, Undekhi goes a step ahead, and you see A behind B, C behind D, D behind A, and E behind B. Messy? It is.
It does have sub-plots, but they are not intriguing. Above all, Undekhi Season 2 falls flat because of poor writing.
Boring Screenplay
Good thrillers know how to keep you hooked through their astounding screenplay. Take the example of Undekhi Season 1; we had a narration led amazingly by the screenplay. It was alluring, engaging, and riveting.
However, Undekhi Season 2 offers nothing on that front either. This review would have been posted earlier had I not slept in the seventh episode.
Even The Fame Game had a slow start, but it came back strongly afterward. The issue here is Undekhi Season 2 never makes a comeback, and by the time it does, everything is lost already.
Half-hearted Direction
In my opinion, the direction could have been better. While directing, you have to make sure the audience believes what’s happening on the screen is true. In Undekhi Season 2, whenever a character is being deliberately kept alive, you feel it is being done for the next season.
I cannot write more about this since it would lead to spoilers. But poor direction makes this series illogical to some extent.
Background Music
The series is filled with unnecessary build-ups through the background score. You would feel something’s coming, but nothing ever arrives. But I am not sure if it is the plot’s failure or the music’s because the music does what it had to; the plot doesn’t.
Should you watch Undekhi Season 2?
As I said earlier, if you can bear 8 episodes without any thrill or edge-of-the-seat moments, please watch it. Otherwise, it is better skipped.
Will there be Undekhi 3?
Based on the ending of season 2, Undekhi season 3 is surely on. However, official announcements are yet to be made.
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