15-March-2021

Review: Bombay Begums

Review: Bombay Begums

In our new series, we at Suggest Nest will do a review each week of the latest movie/tv show/ music album/ book. We will try to make the review as honest and raw as possible without giving away any suspense and also keeping it as brief as possible. 

 

No. of Episodes: 6
Duration: 38 - 60 mins
Original Release: 2021 - present  
Cast: Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur
Genre: Drama
Where To Watch: Netflix

 

Synopsis
This show depicts the lives of five women and presents their struggles, hopes and ambitions. Rani is the CEO of a prestigious bank and juggles her life being a stepmother and being a woman in power who is surrounded by men who want to replace her. Fatima is dealing with problems related to childbirth and her equation with her husband. Ayesha is a new recruit trying to make her place with serious consequences. Lily, a prostitute, is seeking respect in society. This series can be watched for brilliant acting and an honest portrayal of modern women.

Highlights
Currently trending at no.1 on Netflix, this series consists of 6 episode and is packed with drama, romance and social issues like sexual harassment, power politics, surrogacy, bisexuality, open marriages, affairs and more. The character that stands out the most is that of Rani, who is the CEO of a prestigious bank and also has to deal with her stepchildren and gaining their approval even after many years of marriage. Fatima who is promoted to a higher position is struggling with not able to carry a baby, her character seems the most confusing and is shrouded by shades of grey. An incident brings Lily, a prostitute into the life of Rani and she takes full advantage of that situation. Ayesha is a gullible young girl from Indore who gets thrown out of her PG and then takes shelter from one friend’s house to the other. 

Positives
The highlights of this woman-centric series are the really strong performance of the main lead who does not shy away from bold scenes. Of course, there is a lot of truth in the storyline as women do go through massive hurdles in the corporate sector to reach the top. Though the darkness of the show is equally balanced with the optimism that women can overcome anything life throws at them with grace and sincerity. You would not be able to resist stopping after just one episode as the interesting lives of these women are addicting to watch. 

Negatives
Some of the many flaws in the show can be seen as the take on sexual harassment which is presented in a typically cliched manner and often projects men to be harsh on women. The subject of affair in which many characters indulge in throughout the show is often justified as a freedom of choice. But its moral and ethical repercussions are neglected. The portrayal of the life of Rani’s 13-year-old stepdaughter is far too exaggerated with kids in the 7th grade speaking as college students, getting mobile phones in classes, doing drugs at parties and whatnot. You can also ignore her  fake accent in the background narrative too. Sometimes the series feels that it presents the personal lives of these women more than their professional ones as it would be refreshing to witness their various successes in the office. 

Conclusion
We would say this show is worth watching for its honest portrayal though it falters in some places with some exaggeration, though we are not sure if it was done to attract more viewers or to make the show more impactful. 

 

 Our rating of this show is 3/5

 




Leave a Reply