With an excess of content available at various OTT portals, the one thing any series has to take care of essentially is its start, the initial sequences, and the first 2-3 episodes in particular. Because even if you have something to deliver in the later episodes, the viewers will not wait for that, moving over to another, quickly taking the decision post a disappointing start.
That’s exactly what happens with Bestseller, making a mockery of its title, offering an unengaging progression of a confused suspense thriller right from the wordd go. An official adaptation of Ravi Subramanian’s novel The Bestseller She Wrote (2015), the new release yet again makes one wonder that does the original book has the exact content as shown in the series or follows a completely different narrative that worked among the readers, receiving appreciation.
Revolving around a bestselling author and the mysterious past related to his book, the series has the performers trying their best, including Gauhar Khan, Shruti Hassan, Arjan Bajwa, and Satyajeet Dubey. But too convenient writing with the conspirators successfully fooling around without any hassles ruins the entire premise, making it appear like a joke. That remains the reason, even the potential twists and turns do not leave an impact and one soon feels detached from any further developments.
Directed by Mukul Abhayankar, the series also seems to be overconfident of its content and execution when the characters declare the end of every chapter (episode), directly looking into the camera breaking the fourth wall.
In short, Bestseller could only be finished for the veteran Mithun Chakraborty, who makes his OTT debut playing the official investigative officer. His act is the only entertaining feature of the entire series that fails to get you involved as a suspense drama. Hence, this can strictly be seen for Mithun if you must, expecting nothing much as an adaptation of a reported bestseller.
Rating : 2 / 5
(Streaming on Amazon Prime)
Bobby Sing
bobbytallkscinema.com
