BOTTOM LINE
Old Story, Overstretched
Platform
Prime Video & MX Player – 8 Episodes ~ 5 hours
What Is the Show About?
Chidiya Udd revolves around Seher, a young woman who leaves her village in Rajasthan yearning for a better life in Mumbai. As she embarks on a journey to the city of dreams, she soon finds herself entangled in its dark underbelly, thrust into the world of prostitution. Dealing with new acquaintances and powerful figures, Seher navigates a treacherous world of crime in a desperate bid for survival.
Performances
Bhoomika Meena, cast in a challenging role with multiple dimensions, holds her own. Jackie Shroff’s authoritarian portrayal of Qadir Khan with his assertive, no-nonsense body language is an asset. Madhur Mittal is good but his role largely reminds you of Slumdog Millionaire again. Sikander Kher delivers a decent performance as the rebellious Akram. Mayur More, Mita Vashisht, Abha Parmar chip in with assuring portrayals, contributing to the show’s authenticity.
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Analysis
At a time when original content on OTTs – films, shows – is gradually veering towards mediocrity in India, where viewing metrics are dictating what could work among audiences and what may not, every release is an opportunity to turn things around for the better. If Black Warrant kickstarted this year with optimism, Chidiya Udd marks the industry’s return to ground zero again.
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Based on Aabid Surti’s book Cages, Chidiya Udd has a familiar premise – of a young small-town girl sucked into prostitution in a big, bad metropolis. While Seher runs away from home fearing for her life, she is trapped in a world of brothels, madams, pimps, and dangerous men – among whom she finds unlikely allies. Though trapped by circumstances, she strives to control her fate.
Seher has blood on her hands with her involvement in Gafoor’s death (due to which she flees her village) and she is an intriguing confluence of helplessness, resilience and generosity. She not only guards herself from trouble but also does her bit to protect underage girls from sex trade. Seher wants to be a prostitute on her terms, takes unconventional decisions and learns her lessons quickly.
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While Seher is being chased from all corners – cops, gangsters, Gafoor’s son, the show’s horizons are not limited to her alone. In Kamathipura, ruled by Qadir Khan, there’s a fight for supremacy between his wayward son Akram and an overambitious successor Babu Rao. Akram has a special fascination for an ageing Resham Bai. However, they’re all pitted against one another eventually.
Chidiya Udd can certainly take pride in creating a handful of compelling characters with strong conflicts – like Babu Rao, who, in a quest for power, ends up falling for a Bangkok sex worker or the good-at-heart Resham Bai who’s forced to be pragmatic for her good. There’s a Sattar, who genuinely tries to help Seher, and a Champa, whose plight alters how Seher looks at her future.
No character in the show is baselessly antagonised – their actions are well justified and you empathise with them on a certain level. However, the treatment – exploring the internal politics within sex trade – lacks much imagination. The power struggles, betrayals and interpersonal relationships are utterly predictable and after a point, you don’t care for the story.
The done-to-death storytelling devices are its major curse; there’s no effort to surprise the viewer at any level. It’s hard to understand what was so earth-shattering about the novel that it had to be adapted in a long format for 8 episodes and 5 hours. Though the effort to match the spirit of the written material is appreciable, the show could’ve been approached from a new lens.
Chidiya Udd can neither be discarded completely nor praised to the skies. It’s a show rich in detail and strong characters but devoid of a fresh perspective.
Music and Other Departments?
Roshin Balu’s music score works smoothly within the scope of the show, even though it doesn’t enrich it much. The cinematography (by Lawrence Alex Dcunha) is realistic (staying true to its universe) and visually pleasing. The five-hour length is not justified, especially when it has nothing new to offer with its theme. Writers Mohinder Pratap Singh and Chintan Gandhi’s efforts with the characterisation are evident but they should have ideally done more to distinguish the show from scores of films made on the sex trade in the past.
Highlights?
Good performances
Strong characters, casting
Impressive cinematography
Drawbacks?
Dated treatment
Nothing new to offer
Extremely lengthy
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
Only if you like crime dramas and have lots of patience, free time
Chidiya Udd Web Series Review by M9
