‘Ray’ Web Series

 

Ray is a web series which released on Netflix recently. It is based on Satyajit Ray’s short stories. Its first season has 4 episodes, all are different in genre and nature.

#1: “Forget Me Not”

In this story, a woman (Maggie) takes revenge on a very successful entrepreneur (Ipsit Nayar) for making her abort her pregnancy after having an affair with her. As a revenge, she takes help from his friends and colleagues, and makes him believe that he was suffering from a mental illness, and in the end, he actually turns mad. The movie focuses on her abortion, in order to show her as a kind of hero while showing Ipsit (Ali Faizal) as a villain. But was it really the case there?

Although I am not a fan of abortions in general, but I do not like the way movie and fiction writers show it as a very evil thing. Most movies and fiction writers do a deliberate mistake of showing a baby as only the mother’s product and show as if the father was a “perpetrator” and not a victim. But the fact is that the mother and father are equally responsible for a pregnancy to happen and hence both are equal in that sense. Maggie, the woman in this movie took revenge on Ipsit, but the fact is that she had voluntarily made relationship with him and she had herself aborted the fetus. If she decided to keep the baby, she could have found a way. But she blamed the man for her own failure. Secondly, his friend Anil who became a peon in Ipsit’s office, was not forced or duped to become so. He voluntarily accepted that position and if he wanted, he could have declined. Same for another colleague who wanted to be recognized as equal partner. He was always free to resign and start his own company; if he though Ipsit was taking credit for his work!

I personally did not like Ipsit’s character or anything he did, but I can’t imagine that he was so evil that he should be punished in this cruelest manner.

#2: Bahrupiya

In this story, main character is played by KK Menon who has once again given a master class performance. I won’t reveal the whole story, but the moral of the story was very apt and practical. In a way, it was Karma in action. Although I do not approve of the unnecessary adult content shown in it. Since OTT platforms are not regulated by government, the producers of movies and web series put too much vulgar language and scenes. This is the reason I avoid watching movies on platforms like Neflix and choose to watch on TV, since the content is always censored.

#3: Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa

In this episode, Manoj Bajpayee has given another gem of a performance. His role as poet (Shayar) Musafir Ali will always be remembered for such a soulful performance. Manoj Bajpayee appears so naturally in this role, that you will be left astonished. The story is simply superb and the ending is totally unpredictable. I would remember this and the earlier part’s stories also for the genius story.

#4: Spotlight

Last in the season 1, this came as a huge surprise. Harshvardhan Kapoor has given a brilliant performance, which appears much matured and balanced. The character demanded a versatility in the actor and he has given a gem of a performance. Radhika Madan as a god woman “Didi” has given an equally stunning performance. I have not watched many of her movies, and I was really impressed by her performance in this one. In the climax scene where she displayed supernatural phenomenon and every one folded hands watching her, my hands got folded too and it felt like she was an avatar of Goddess Durga.

In general, Ray is certainly worth a watch if you are interested in brilliant stories and some out of the box concepts on action in Indian cinema.

- Rahul Tiwary