Normally, one associates Vikram Bhatt shows with lots of s*x and skin show. However, his new Viu Originals’ web-series presentation, Memories, is totally free of the same so far (four episodes).
This psychological thriller traces the journey of a suave news channel owner, Siddharth Sareen (Rohit Roy), who returns from the dead after a road accident, with the power to get into dead people’s memories. We still have not been told the how and why of his new gift, so waiting for that.
In the first episode, he helps his cop friend, Adhikari (Harsh Singh), to arrest a killer. The victim liked BDSM sex– a throwback to Maya?
In the meantime, do-gooder Chief Minister (Madan Joshi) is critically shot at. Adhikhari again asks Siddharth to help investigate, by, for the first time, trying to enter the memories of comatose girl, Priya (Priyal Gor).
Interestingly, he had no clue that Priya was his intern, who was also shot from the same gun that had targeted the CM.
A psychological thriller has no template, so you can play a lot creatively. It would be interesting to see how makers use this freedom. At first, Priya subconsciously refuses access to Siddharth, but later relents, as she holds a torch for him. We quite like the scenes when he enters someone’s memoires; it is like getting a bird’s eye in someone else’s head, quite eerie, must say.
Via her, Siddharth realizes that he has been a very selfish person. The case gets further entangled, when he realizes that the hit on the CM was an inside party job. Priya had stumbled upon it and hence had landed up in this hospital bed. Some anonymous sources also give Siddharth the assassin’s whereabouts, who commits suicide when surrounded by the cops. With ever-changing dynamics, he does not know what is happening and whether he is being used as a pawn in a bigger power game.
Rohit is doing a swell job of someone who is not very happy with the power that allows him to view a person’s last moments. It kinda mellows him down, making him appreciate others around him. Rohit also, quite effectively, brings out the get-the-news-first-at-any-cost mantra of news channels i.e. he asks his unit to accompany the cop to the encounter site, thereby putting their lives in peril. The reporters themselves don’t back down when asked, for they too want success.
Kudos to the creative team for having worked hard on Rohit’s look (there is kind of flash mode). His glasses, suits, all add heft to the maturity of the character and the seriousness of the situation.
Priyal Gor is doing the role of the star-struck young intern to the T. We all want to laugh at her antics, having been there at one time ourselves. Her girl talk with roomie, Sheena (Rashmi Mishra), is again, so college girl like.
While the pace and tempo of the thriller is good, there are a few bloopers as well. How come Siddharth could not recognize an intern who had gained his attention by her goofs-ups? He only comes to know who she is when she lets him into her thoughts.
And if Priya had unearthed such a big conspiracy, should she not have first alerted her seniors? Siddharth was blissfully unaware till he gets into her memories. So, is there more than what meets the eye? Can we expect more drama surrounding the CM’s son, Gaurav (Nishtant Malik)?
As further episodes come, we wonder whether romance will bloom between Siddharth and Priya post her waking up, or the former will continue to probe further into her mind. Will this also lead to complications between Siddharth and his associate, Sunita (Surleen Kaur)? There are hints of something cooking between them.
We have one more issue– the story seems to drag at times, maybe because, till now, no other co-terminus tracks have opened up. The episodes appear to drag as well. Watching 20 minutes on mobile is anyways always a task. Also, the hook points and shock value, which we have come to expect from thrillers, are a tad less. Also, interestingly, there was no heavy-duty promotion of Memories as with Maaya 2.
Vikram’s task is clearly cut out; with fresh episodes being added weekly, there will have to be enough meat for the audience to remember to come back in a cluttered web environment. No wonder, lots of s*x is used, for it is the easiest way to get audience attention.
IWMBuzz.com credits Memories with 3 out of 5 stars.