Tanya Maniktala, Shantanu Maheshwari, and Sikander Kher starrer ‘Tooth Pari’ has finally been released on Netflix. The series showcases a world where vampires live with humans quite naturally. Is the show worth your time? Or can you simply skip it? Read the full review to find out.
Director: Pratim D. Gupta
Cast: Shantanu Maheshwari, Tanya Maniktala, Anish Railkar, Revathi, Tillotama Shome, Sikandar Kher, Saswata Chatterjee, Adil Hussain, Avijit Dutt, Anindita Bose, Anjan Dutt, Kharaj Mukherjee, Rajatava Dutta, Swaroopa Ghosh, Zarina Wahab, Barun Chanda, Bhaswar Chatterjee, Soham Maitra, Chitrak Bandyopadhyay
Available On: Netflix
Duration: 8 Episodes, 45 Minutes Each
When human and mystical forces work to keep them apart, a rebellious vampire with a damaged tooth falls in love with a shy dentist on the streets of Kolkata. Will human and mystical forces keep them apart? Will the lovebirds be able to finally find a way to stay in love? Will they be able to win over the dark forces trying to kill them both? Will their secret get exposed to the entire world? Well, for all that you’ll have to watch the show.
No one could have played the lead role as well as Tanya Maniktala has. She is the perfect balance of cuteness and a layered portrayal. She has managed to bring so much life into this character of Rumi, quite literally, that you would not be able to comprehend whether to love her or hate her. She will keep you confused for the first few episodes, and then when her real fangs (pun intended) come out, you will not be able to take your eyes off her. Her character grows on you like an aged fine wine.
Shantanu Maheshwari does fit the bill of what the character demanded, and he delivered with aplomb. Even when you saw him in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’, he was a quiet, respectful and sober guy. He just takes those characteristics a notch higher and adds to that a tinge of Bengali body language and wallah – you have got the perfect puppy-faced lover boy. You’ll fall in love with his character right from the word go.
Sikander Kher, you beauty! Why don’t you do more films or shows like this? Till the climax, you will not be able to decipher whether he is the good guy or the bad guy. He manages to keep that balance so perfectly that you want to see more and more of him. That tall brooding rugged look coupled with his wicked sense of humour makes the character light up the screens every time he is on. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have an entire spin-off on his character itself.
Revathi, Tillotama Shome, Saswata Chatterjee and Adil Hussain may have lesser screen time, but they all have played their characters to such perfection that you don’t end up seeing the actors onscreen but just the characters.
The rest of the supporting cast, although very popular and extremely talented, have been abjectly wasted in such small characters. Avijit Dutt as the confidante, Anjan Dutt as the Alzheimer-stricken father, and Kharaj Mukherjee as the forensic expert could have all had much more to showcase. Rajatava Dutta and Swaroopa Ghosh are still decently used in their limited screen time, but actors like Zarina Wahab and Barun Chanda are absolutely under-utilised.
The best part about ‘Tooth Pari’ is its writing and direction by Pratim D. Gupta. He has created a world that will suck your imagination in and keep you hooked till the very end. The minute detailing that he has brought on whether it’s in the looks of the character or the feel of Kolkata is brilliant. What’s so good about his writing is that he has explained every detail about a world where vampires exist and there is an entire system of how they operate without hurting any humans ever. Also, in a vampire-driven story, you would feel like it’s going too much into gore, but Gupta manages to keep the mood light by revolving the entire story around a love angle and also putting actors who are innately funny and lighten up the mood just by their sheer screen presence. Sadly, the climax was something that just couldn’t live up to its full potential, and you were left feeling slightly cheated. It felt like things were rather rushed in the last episode, and that’s why the ending just couldn’t feel justified.
Subhankar Bhar and Lavesh Dali’s cinematography also needs to be lauded to the full. What a superb setting of the show in Kolkata, and how beautifully the entire city has been shown. From the small lanes and bylanes to the climax on the ghats of the Ganges with the Howrah Bridge in the backdrop – everything was perfectly in place. Also, as most of the shooting has been done in the dark, there is hardly any scene which doesn’t feel properly lit.
Antara Lahiri and Jitendra Dongare’s editing however could have been slightly stretched. The last episode could have been converted into 2 episodes, probably around 30 minutes each, which would have given the climax a lot more time, and therefore, the climatic story to be explained much better.
Neel Adhikari’s background score and music are decent. However, a couple of romantic songs in between could have been avoided as the story itself was quite intriguing.
Yes
You don’t have to be into gore in order to like ‘Tooth Pari’. You don’t have to be into vampires in order to like ‘Tooth Pari’. You just have to let your imagination flow and immerse yourself in a world where vampires exist. Pratim D. Gupta’s brilliant storytelling draws you in after an initial couple of scenes where you’re still figuring out what’s this new world, but once you get into it, you’re all into it hook, line and sinker. Baring aside the climax which seemed rushed, everything else seemed pitch-perfect. For all those who keep complaining that why can Hollywood tell such imaginative and improbable stories but Bollywood can’t, and for all who want to see something abjectly different, this is definitely a Must Watch. I am going with 4.5 stars.