Sex, glamour and politics equals cricket, Well, this is a summary of new Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge based on a fictitious cricket league which resembles the cash rich IPL in many capacities.
Team Mumbai Maverick, part owned by film actor Zarina Malik (Richa Chadda), is facing lots of financial issues. A crafty sports management company baron Vikrant Dhawan (Vivek Oberoi) creates such conditions which forces the owner to sell the company to him at a dirt cheap price.
Later, he tries to molest Zarina, but lets her go in a way showing his power. Vivek, we would like to mention, has done a good job of playing the suave businessman. His aura exudes power and his potent act lends much needed gravitas. One big departure from the regular web content is the focus on the script and power of performance, rather than being loud to enhance audience stickiness.
Vivek speaks softly and less, but his eyes talk volumes. Richa on the other hand also essays the role of the troubled Bollywood actress with élan. Her mix of vulnerability and ambitious drive makes for an interesting captivating watch.
Coming to the cricket team, we have one player Vayu (Tanuj Virwani) who can’t keep his pants up, he indulges with a cheerleader while the match is on. He also abuses the opposite team bowler which unnerves him forcing to bowl short. The scene where the match reporter Meera Nagpaal (Sarah Jane Dias) argues with her production head over showing cleavage is a sharp reminder of how s*x is used to sell anything, including sports. Her character will come of age being the ex of Vayu. She also throws light on gossip that cricket players are high on dope as well. The captain of the squad Arvind( Angad Bedi) is shown to be very a cool character for whom only results matter. Angad also shows the steely determination similar to MSD.
Attractive team analyst Sayani Gupta has brotherly ties with Vayu and knows how to smartly keep other men at bay as well. But we wonder do analysts really move around in hot pants? Also her smart talks tell how serious and technical T20 has got, every action of the player’s is under the scanner, if you don’t deliver, you are good as gone. The cool coach Niranjan (Sanjay Suri) will have much more to do as the 10 episodes story unfolds.
We also have a rival team owner making out with an information dealer. The scene was complete with her joking that his performance was bad as his team efforts in the league, which is clichéd but done smartly.
All in all the initial episodes which we have watched so far are quite pacey and edgy. The hook part ending of first part was deliberately kept at high point, so free users are tempted to buy Prime membership.
We are kicked to watch the rest ASAP, so binge watching theory really works for Inside Edge.
We must also admit that the story plot, execution and production values are top notch. Amazon Prime has splashed into the OTT content space with aplomb and much intent. It’s absolutely going the next level where others been busy hobnobbing sniffing at the corners.
We can say that Indian OTT content is finally coming of age. The so called boldness is not at all forced merges with the narrative seamlessly.
If Inside Edge works, it will encourage other B- Town biggies to follow producer Farhan Akthar and Ritesh Sidhwani to enter web space thereby increasing quality of web content which has not been so good as of now.
Inside Edge is a must watch for all. IndianWikiMedia would rate it 4 out of 5 stars.
