Bombay Begums | |
---|---|
Genre | Drama |
Written by | Alankrita Shrivastava Bornila Chatterjee Iti Agarwal |
Directed by | Alankrita Shrivastava Bornila Chatterjee |
Starring |
|
Narrated by | Aadhya Anand |
Theme music composer | Sunny Dutta |
Composer | Anand Bhasker |
No. of seasons | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 [1] |
Production | |
Executive producer | Alankrita Shrivastava |
Cinematography | Akshay Singh |
Editors | Charu Shree Roy Omkar Uttam Sakpal |
Production companies | Endemol Shine India Chernin Entertainment |
Original release | |
Network | Netflix |
Release | 8 March 2021 |
Bombay Begums is an Indian drama television series for Netflix created by Alankrita Shrivastava, who also co-wrote the script along with Bornila Chatterjee and Iti Agarwal. The series was directed by Shrivastava and Chatterjee, and produced by the Los Angeles-based Chernin Entertainment and Endemol Shine Group. The cast features Pooja Bhatt, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash and Plabita Borthakur in the lead roles, and was narrated by Aadhya Anand. The series marks the comeback of actress Pooja Bhatt. [2] It explores the lives of five ambitious women from various walks of life navigating through their dreams, desires and disappointments, from boardrooms to society's margins, in modern-day Mumbai. [3] It was released on Netflix on 8 March 2021. [4]
Set in contemporary urban India, five women, across generations, wrestle with desire, ethics, personal crises and vulnerabilities to own their ambition. [5] Rani is the CEO of a bank who takes great effort in hiding the bank's problems. Fatima, who works under Rani, does everything possible to please her husband. Lily, who lives in a chawl, has previously been a bar dancer and is now scamming her way to a better life for herself and her son. Ayesha is bisexual and is from a small town (Indore) and is new to the city of Mumbai. [4] The series explores drug abuse, blackmail, broken dreams, and aspirations of these characters.[ citation needed ]
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Women Who Run With The Wolves" | Alankrita Shrivastava | Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
Newly appointed bank CEO Rani tries to thwart a potential scandal. A promotion offer has Fatima torn. Ayesha attempts to forge ahead after a mistake. | |||||
2 | "Love" | Alankrita Shrivastava | Iti Agarwal, Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
Helping Lily towards her goals, Ayesha mulls over her own unspoken desires. Rani and Fatima clash over business while navigating their deeper demons. | |||||
3 | "The Colour Purple" | Bornila Chatterjee | Bornila Chatterjee, Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
New layers of Rani’s complicated marriage are revealed. Fatima juggles tough personal and professional decisions. Ayesha’s home hunting takes a detour. | |||||
4 | "The Bell Jar" | Bornila Chatterjee | Bornila Chatterjee, Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
After an unwanted advance, Ayesha is conflicted about next steps. A leaked video puts Rani in a crisis. An enemy blocks Lily from starting her factory. | |||||
5 | "The Golden Notebook" | Bornila Chatterjee | Iti Agarwal, Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
Ayesha speaks her truth, but is met with troubling reactions. A stifled Fatima continues to seek solace. Another setback disrupts Lily’s brief respite. | |||||
6 | "A Room Of One's Own" | Alankrita Shrivastava | Alankrita Shrivastava | 8 March 2021 | |
Betrayals, confessions and shattered illusions propel Rani, Ayesha, Fatima, Lily and Shai to take the reins on their lives and make some big decisions. |
Alankrita Shrivastava recalled in an interview that she had watched the 1991 film Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin directed by Mahesh Bhatt, which saw his daughter Pooja Bhatt's acting into fruition, at least 21 times. [6] She insisted to make a new project with Bhatt in the leading role. Titled Bombay Begums, Bhatt initially disagreed to accept the script although she liked the synopsis narrated by Shrivastava, but later changed her decision and gave her nod to the script. The series marked Pooja Bhatt's comeback in acting career after she made a cameo appearance in Sadak 2 (2020). [7]
The inspiration for Bombay Begums originated in 2012, when Shrivastava found herself wondering about the double lives of urban Indian women who join the corporate workforce and excel at their jobs but still have to confront gendered expectations back at home, citing the examples of her past life. She initially conceived of Bombay Begums as a television show and started writing the script, but she could not find the right producers for the series. After the release of Lipstick Under My Burkha in 2017, the Los Angeles-based Chernin Entertainment expressed interest in Bombay Begums and Netflix came on board soon after. Like her previous outings Lipstick Under My Burkha and Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare , Bombay Begums revolves around women who are in a state of transition – personal and professional – examining the illusion of freedom afforded to them in modern India. [8]
Shrivastava started the creation of the series while working on the Prime original Made in Heaven . She and her co-team members Iti Agarwal and Bornila Chatterjee worked on the writing and direction of Bombay Begums. The principal shooting of the series took place in late 2019 and was completed in March 2020, weeks prior to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India. [2] The team undertook post-production activities in July 2020 and it was completed within two months. [2] [9]
Bombay Begums | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Anand Bhasker, Chetan Dominic Awasthi and Tarana Marwah | |
Released | 14 March 2021 |
Genre | Soundtrack |
Length | 48:11 |
Language | Hindi |
Label | Netflix |
Producer |
|
The soundtrack album of Bombay Begums featured seven songs composed by Tarana Marwah, one song by Chetan Dominic Awasthi and four songs by Anand Bhaskar.[ citation needed ] Gaurav Raina of the electronic group MIDIval Punditz mixed and mastered the soundtrack and also performed the theme music of the series. [10] Raina also composed and written the song along with Tarana Marwah, who worked in the Amazon Prime Video series Made In Heaven . [11] The album was released through YouTube on 14 March 2021. [12]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Begum's Theme" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah, Gaurav Raina | 1:17 |
2. | "This Love" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 3:08 |
3. | "Watching" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 7:19 |
4. | "You Do You" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 4:16 |
5. | "Haunted" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 3:01 |
6. | "House Of Cards" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 4:28 |
7. | "Still I Feel" | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | Tarana Marwah | 6:48 |
8. | "Favourite Sin" | Chetan Dominic Awasthi | Chetan Dominic Awasthi | Chezin | 4:19 |
9. | "Harjaayi" | Ginny Diwan | Anand Bhaskar | Madhubanti Bagchi | 3:24 |
10. | "Ishq Khumaari" | Ginny Diwan | Anand Bhaskar | Isheeta Chakrvarty | 4:21 |
11. | "Jawaani" | Shraddha Sehgal | Anand Bhaskar | Shilpa Surroch | 4:12 |
12. | "Khel" | Anand Bhaskar | Anand Bhaskar | Keka Ghoshal | 4:08 |
Even before the announcement of the Netflix original slate on 3 March 2021, [13] [14] the team released the first poster of the series on 10 February 2021. [15] On 18 February 2021, the official trailer of the series was unveiled through YouTube. [16] The series was unveiled on 8 March 2021 through Netflix, which coincided the occasion of International Women's Day. [2]
The series opened to mixed to positive responses from critics. Sayan Ghosh of The Hindu stated "Director Alankrita Shrivastava’s ability to navigate through various layers of suppressed anger and the emotional volatility of her characters make for a most engaging watch". [17] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express stated "The most powerful element in Alankrita Srivastava’s films is the recognition of women’s desire, and how its absence can create permanent hollowness." [18] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave three-and-a-half out of five to the series and reviewed "Bombay Begums, created by Alankrita Shrivastava (Lipstick Under My Burkha), who shares screenwriting and directorial responsibilities with Bornila Chatterjee (The Hungry), strikes an instant chord because it strings together relatable, rooted stories." [19]
Saraswati Datar of The News Minute gave a review "Bombay Begums is an entertaining watch, but don’t expect to feel moved or empowered after watching it." [20] Rohan Naahar of Hindustan Times stated "Terrific performances by Pooja Bhatt, Amruta Subhash, Plabita Borthakur, Shahana Goswami and Manish Chaudhary smooth out the creases." [4] Swetha Ramakrishnan of Firstpost gave three-and-a-half out of five, reviewing, "With crisp episodes (even though clocking in at 50 minutes each), the series is fairly easy to sit through despite its imperfections." [21] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV wrote: Netflix Series Rides On Top-Notch Performances, Not Least By Pooja Bhatt. [22]
India's National Commission for Protection of Child Rights sent notice to Netflix to stop streaming the series in March 2021. The notice quoted complaints from two Twitter users over content portraying the drug use of minors and themes of sexuality, saying it would "not only pollute the young minds of the children, and may also result in the abuse and the exploitation of children". The commission called on Netflix to "take extra precaution while streaming any content in respect of the children or for the children and shall also refrain themselves from getting into such things". [23] [24]
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Asian Academy Creative Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Amruta Subhash | Won | [25] |
Pooja Bhatt is an Indian actress, director, and filmmaker. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. She is the recipient of several accolades, including two National Film Awards and one Filmfare Awards.
The IIFA Award for Best Actress is given by the International Indian Film Academy as part of its annual award ceremony for Hindi films, to recognise a female actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role. The recipient is chosen by viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony. The most recent recipient is Rani Mukerji who won her record-tying fourth Best Actress award for Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway.
The IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress is chosen by the viewers and the winner is announced at the ceremony.
The Filmfare Best Screenplay Award is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films.
Shahana Goswami is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of Indian economist and writer Omkar Goswami. She became known for her supporting role in the musical drama film Rock On!! (2008), which won her the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress. She was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Firaaq (2009). She subsequently featured in films such as Heroine and Midnight's Children as well as the series A Suitable Boy (2020). Goswani has since taken on lead roles in the independent films Zwigato (2023) and Santosh (2024).
Firaaq is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Nandita Das. It is set one month after the 2002 violence in Gujarat, India, and looks at the aftermath and its effects on the lives of everyday people. It claims to be based on "a thousand true stories." Firaaq means both separation and quest in Arabic. The film is the directorial debut of actress Nandita Das and stars Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Inaamulhaq, Nassar, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Suri, Raghubir Yadav, Shahana Goswami, Amruta Subhash, and Tisca Chopra.
The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actress is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi–language films.
Amruta Subhash is an Indian actress who works in Marathi and Hindi films, television, and theatre. She is a graduate of the National School of Drama, New Delhi. She has received several awards, including a National Film Award, two Filmfare Awards, and a Filmfare OTT Award.
Alia Bhatt is a British actress of Indian descent who predominantly works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of women in challenging circumstances, she has received several accolades, including a National Film Award and six Filmfare Awards. She is one of India's highest-paid actresses. Time awarded her with the Time100 Impact Award in 2022 and named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2024.
Manish Prakash Chaudhari is an Indian actor who is best known for his character of Sunil Puri in Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year. He made his film debut in the 2003 Indian film Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula. He was also seen in the 2021 web-series Aarya.
Lipstick Under My Burkha is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language black comedy film written and directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and produced by Prakash Jha. The film stars Ratna Pathak, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aahana Kumra and Plabita Borthakur, while Sushant Singh, Sonal Jha, Vikrant Massey, Shashank Arora, Vaibhav Tatwawaadi and Jagat Singh Solanki play supportive roles. The movie shows the secret lives of four women who are in search of their freedom. Even after facing all the odds and obstacles in their way, they still manage to find their way to claim their desires through small acts of courage.
Alankrita Shrivastava is an Indian screenwriter, director and producer. Having made her debut as a director in 2011, she has since won accolades such as the Grand Prix at the Créteil International Women's Film Festival and a nomination for a Filmfare Award for the critically acclaimed film Lipstick Under My Burkha.
Plabita Borthakur is an Indian actress, singer and artist from Assam, India.
Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language film starring Konkona Sen Sharma and Bhumi Pednekar. The film is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava and is produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor under their banner Balaji Telefilms. The film also features actors Vikrant Massey and Amol Parashar opposite the leading actors.
Made In Heaven is an Indian romantic drama television series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 8 March 2019. Produced by Excel Entertainment, the series chronicles the lives of Tara and Karan, two wedding planners in Delhi running an agency named Made in Heaven. The series is Amazon Video’s fourth original fictional Indian series and stars Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Shashank Arora, Kalki Koechlin, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Mona Singh.
Tiger Baby is an Indian film production company owned by film directors Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti. The company was founded in October 2015.
Sutliyan is an Indian web-series on ZEE5 starring Plabita Borthakur, Ayesha Raza, Shiv Panditt and Vivaan Shah. Sutliyan is created by Karan Raj Kohli / Viraj Kapur and Directed by Shree Narayan Singh. The eight part series is written by Sudeep Nigam and Abhishek Chatterjee and is produced by Manor Rama Pictures. Sutliyan released on 4 March 2022 on ZEE5.
Vivek Gomber is an Indian actor and producer who has made significant contributions to Indian, British, and American cinema. He is a recipient of a National Film Award along with multiple international awards.