Season 2: Mid-way Impressions
I am onto watching the fourth episode of Season 2 and since it’s a weekend starting, I thought I’d give my impressions now so as to help those of you contemplating binging on it over the weekend. So here’s it.
In a line, ‘Season 2 holds its own’.
But with caveats. You’d have to do the following:
1. Don’t expect a linear extension (from the first season) in the storyline or even the music. Watch this season for itself. And see if still appeals to you.
2. Don’t judge by the first episode. I was about to give up at the end of it. - it felt so patchy and unconvincing. But then I remembered how the first season took a few episodes to grow on me and some of you. The second episode changed my perception. It sets the tone for this season by establishing the plots/subplots, and shapes the characters (especially the newer ones) enough for us to get invested in them.
So, what’s different?
While Season1 was centered around ‘Hindustani classical music’, therefore differentiating this series from others devoted to music, the second season is anything but.
Don’t expect it to be Rathod gharana centered (and actually the parts to do with it seem the weakest in this season). I suspect the makers have made a conscious choice to broaden their viewer base. Expect different musical forms/genres all finding an equal footing along with Indian classical.
Is that bad? Not really. Because the season is therefore able to explore the conflicts as well as confluence between not just different genres, but also musical cultures. This season is not for the purists, but for the eclectic music fan.
But the season also has other significant positives/attractions beyond what season 1 provided.
Firstly, it does an excellent job of getting into the world of music learning and band formation bringing out the nuances and dynamics in these far better than anything I’ve seen from an Indian series before. This is indeed the highlight of the season for me so far. If Season 1 went deep into the gharana style of learning, Season 2 goes deep into a modern (western) music school learning environment.
Secondly, the new characters. Yes, there’s no Naseeruddin, so one will miss his magnificence. But Divya Dutta, a very strong performer, is in her own elements here. She is one of the best surprises this season in her role as highly sought after music teacher which, apart from Divya haters, I suppose all would appreciate, even admire.
There are a few other strong characters in either Tamanna’s and Radhey’s tracks (which run distinct, but parallel to each other, but with the expected intersections) in the form of their fellow students/bandmates/love interests. Some of them, like the fusion star Mahi or lead singer Sowmya bring out the elitism and other tribulations faced by and resultant angst of a budding musician quite effectively.
I haven’t heard the original soundtrack yet, but I suspect it’d be even a patch on Season 1. Not just because there’s no S-E-L who are replaced by multiple composers given the multiplicity of genres), but also because even by episode 4, there’s only one proper full-sized performance. Expect a lot of music creation and jamming though, which can’t quite make an OST listenable, but actually embody the story better than the songs of season 1.
In summary, I feel there’s enough in this Season to engage me till the end and so for many (but not all) Season 1 viewers. Watch till end of episode 2 and decide. If it engages you, there’s a lot new (and some old, like the Mohini-Digvijay story that evolves further) in this season to appreciate and enjoy.
Do add your own impressions as you watch season two of this hatke series - still as much, if not more, dedicated to music and musicians. And therefore to music lovers.
