Scoop Season 1 – Times of India
[ad_1]
Story: Inspired by crime reporter Jigna Vora’s biographical memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison, the series follows Jagruti Pathak, who’s accused of having links with organised crime and instigating mafioso Chota Rajan to slay a veteran crime journalist, Jaideb Sen. Did Jagruti commit the crime and will she be convicted or acquitted?
Review: The world of investigative journalism, crime reporting, and the underbelly makes for gritty and intriguing storytelling. These elements make Scoop an exciting watch. Hansal Mehta’s six-part series introduces the viewer to Jagruti Pathak (Karishma Tanna), who has the fire to make it big as a crime reporter and see her stories on the front page of her publication, Eastern Age. As Jagruti rises in rank as a prominent journalist, a faction doubts her calibre and dismisses her hard work and talent as a by-product of being on good terms with the JCP Shroff (Harman Baweja). But the leading female journo becomes a victim of something more sinister as her senior counterpart Jaideb Sen (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is slain by the mafia, and she becomes a suspect. The rest of the story is about her life in prison and her fight to prove her innocence.
Director and creator Hansal Mehta and writers Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul and Mirat Trivedi present a well-researched tale with realism as its strong point. Each episode spans more than an hour, and the different plot points and mafia wars need keen attention lest the viewer miss a crucial link. Scoop is not a show you can choose for a breezy watch. Pratham Mehta’s cinematography further lends it a realistic look, whether in the newsroom and editorial meetings, shady bars and cafes where reporters meet their sources or Jagruti’s home. The competition for exclusives and scoops and finding space on the front page, journalists’ anathema of finding their stories on inside pages have also been depicted well. What makes one’s stomach churn is the portrayal of life in prison—the harshness and chaos will chill one’s spine. The show also captures jealousy and biases against female professionals who make it big on their own merit, not just in journalism but also in the corporate world.
As the protagonist, Karishma Tanna delivers a powerful performance. She gets the nuances bang on as a fiery woman trying to break the glass ceiling in a male-dominated field, a mentor, a mother and even a victim. The scenes in prison bring out her vulnerability, but she does not look emaciated for the struggle she is shown to have in prison. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub as the editor-in-chief and her supporter Imran deserves special mention, as does Harman Baweja as a cop torn between his fondness for Jagruti and saving his and the department’s skin. One hopes to see him more often on screen. Deven Bhojani plays Jagruti’s uncle, and his love for her and his family will warm one’s heart and proves his mettle beyond comedies.
The series takes some time to pick up pace; the courtroom sequences are intriguing, but they are scanty considering proving Jagruti’s guiltiness or innocence rests on the court case. Fleshing it out some more would have made it more interesting.
Those who have some inkling about how journalism operates may find the show more appealing. However, it has a strong premise and performances and is worth watching for the intense drama.
Watch ‘Scoop’ Trailer: Karishma Tanna and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub starrer ‘Scoop’ Official Trailer
Review: The world of investigative journalism, crime reporting, and the underbelly makes for gritty and intriguing storytelling. These elements make Scoop an exciting watch. Hansal Mehta’s six-part series introduces the viewer to Jagruti Pathak (Karishma Tanna), who has the fire to make it big as a crime reporter and see her stories on the front page of her publication, Eastern Age. As Jagruti rises in rank as a prominent journalist, a faction doubts her calibre and dismisses her hard work and talent as a by-product of being on good terms with the JCP Shroff (Harman Baweja). But the leading female journo becomes a victim of something more sinister as her senior counterpart Jaideb Sen (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is slain by the mafia, and she becomes a suspect. The rest of the story is about her life in prison and her fight to prove her innocence.
Director and creator Hansal Mehta and writers Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul and Mirat Trivedi present a well-researched tale with realism as its strong point. Each episode spans more than an hour, and the different plot points and mafia wars need keen attention lest the viewer miss a crucial link. Scoop is not a show you can choose for a breezy watch. Pratham Mehta’s cinematography further lends it a realistic look, whether in the newsroom and editorial meetings, shady bars and cafes where reporters meet their sources or Jagruti’s home. The competition for exclusives and scoops and finding space on the front page, journalists’ anathema of finding their stories on inside pages have also been depicted well. What makes one’s stomach churn is the portrayal of life in prison—the harshness and chaos will chill one’s spine. The show also captures jealousy and biases against female professionals who make it big on their own merit, not just in journalism but also in the corporate world.
As the protagonist, Karishma Tanna delivers a powerful performance. She gets the nuances bang on as a fiery woman trying to break the glass ceiling in a male-dominated field, a mentor, a mother and even a victim. The scenes in prison bring out her vulnerability, but she does not look emaciated for the struggle she is shown to have in prison. Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub as the editor-in-chief and her supporter Imran deserves special mention, as does Harman Baweja as a cop torn between his fondness for Jagruti and saving his and the department’s skin. One hopes to see him more often on screen. Deven Bhojani plays Jagruti’s uncle, and his love for her and his family will warm one’s heart and proves his mettle beyond comedies.
The series takes some time to pick up pace; the courtroom sequences are intriguing, but they are scanty considering proving Jagruti’s guiltiness or innocence rests on the court case. Fleshing it out some more would have made it more interesting.
Those who have some inkling about how journalism operates may find the show more appealing. However, it has a strong premise and performances and is worth watching for the intense drama.
Watch ‘Scoop’ Trailer: Karishma Tanna and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub starrer ‘Scoop’ Official Trailer
[ad_2]
Source link
