She (TV series)

Last updated

She
She (TV series) poster.jpg
Promotional poster
Created by Imtiaz Ali
Written byImtiaz Ali
Divya Johri
Directed byArif Ali
Avinash Das
Starring Aaditi Pohankar
Vijay Varma
Kishore
Theme music composerIshaan Chhabra
ComposerGaurang Soni
Country of originIndia
Original languagesHindi and English
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes14
Production
Production location India
CinematographyAmit Roy
EditorManish Jaitly
Production companiesWindow Seat Films
Inferno Pictures
Viacom18 Studios
Tipping Point
Original release
NetworkNetflix
Release20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)

She is an Indian crime drama television series created and written by Imtiaz Ali and Divya Johry. [1] Directed by Arif Ali and Avinash Das under production house Window Seat Films, the series stars Aaditi Pohankar, Vijay Varma and Kishore. It follows the story of a female constable who goes undercover to bust an underworld gang. [2] She premiered on Netflix on 20 March 2020. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

She follows the story of a poor female constable in the Indian Police Force who has been inducted in the Anti Narcotics Group to fight a major drug lord. [5] As a part of the mission, Bhumika goes undercover as a prostitute in Mumbai city. Meanwhile, at home, Bhumika has to fight off her drunk husband and work on finalizing her divorce with him. She is the sole earning person of her family, with her mother battling an illness and her sister studying in college. The show depicts the idea that a woman’s body can work well to control her surroundings.

Bhumika aka Bhumi is constantly struggling in her own thoughts living the moments over and over again. Sasya is captured with help of Bhumi and agrees to co-operate and become police informer but he has only one condition that he would provide information only to Bhumi. Before arresting Sasya, he and Bhumi have a brief intimate encounter where she enjoys it and re-lives that moment over and over again. [6]

Cast

Episodes

Series overview

SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1 720 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
2 717 June 2022 (2022-06-17)

Season 1 (2020)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"The Pickup"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
Police officer Bhumi goes undercover as a prostitute to bust a drug cartel leader, but when the operation goes awry, she makes an unexpected discovery.
22"The Proposal"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
A visit from Bhumi's estranged husband angers her rebellious sister. Sasya agrees to cooperate in a police interrogation - on one condition.
33"The Pawn's Move"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
The team doubts Bhumi's mettle after Sasya manages to rattle her. Fernandez pushes to keep her as an undercover agent in a plan to nab Sasya's boss.
44"Night Walk"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
After going to dangerous lengths to prove herself, Bhumi is recruited into Fernandez's department, and begins to prepare for her risky new role.
55"It's Time"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
Newly emboldened, Bhumi seduces an unlikely target. Ahead of Nayak's arrival in Mumbai, Sasya attempts to gain police trust as an informant.
66"The Promise"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
With Nayak now in Mumbai, Bhumi is moved to a hotel under police surveillance, but her first encounter with the kingpin takes the team by surprise.
77"Devil's Share"Arif Ali, Avinash DasImtiaz Ali, Manish Gaekwad20 March 2020 (2020-03-20)
In the wake of an unexpected complication, Fernandez doubts Sasya's loyalty. Caught off guard by a suspicious Nayak, Bhumi drops her own bombshell.

Season 2 (2022)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [7]
81"The Test"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
92"The Tightrope"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
103"The Devil's Double"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
114"Samsara"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
125"Karma Cola"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
136"Dark Seduction"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)
147"The Switch"UnknownUnknown17 June 2022 (2022-06-17)

Controversy

In Season 2 Episode 1, the series portrays a character by the name of Ismail as the owner of a prostitution cartel dressed in the traditional attire specific to the Dawoodi Bohra community. [8]

Critical reception

Swetha Ramakrishnan from Firstpost gave credit to the cinematography of the series and applauded the cast performances. However, she further mentioned how and why she was disappointed with Imtiaz Ali on the plot. [9] Hindustan Times termed the series as sleazy and sloppy but hailed few instances from the series. [10]

Scroll.in appreciated the performance of Vijay Verma and highlighted that his character who was used to set up the events in the series was eventually sidelined at the end, which was disheartening. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isma'ilism</span> Branch of Shia Islam

Isma'ilism is a branch or sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelver Shia, who accept Musa al-Kadhim, the younger brother of Isma'il, as the true Imām.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dawoodi Bohra</span> Sect of Ismaili Shia Islam

The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. They number approximately one million worldwide and have settled in over 40 countries around the world. The majority of the Dawoodi Bohra community resides in India, with sizable congregations in Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East. They also have a growing presence in Europe, North America, and Australia. The present leader is the 53rd al-Dai al-Mutlaq, Mufaddal Saifuddin who assumed office in January 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taher Saifuddin</span> 51st Dai al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra

Taher Saifuddin, also known as Tahir Sayf al-Din, was the 51st and longest serving Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras. Saifuddin adapted the modernisation in Western and European ideas, and established its benefits for the Bohras, whilst still steeped in the traditions and the culture of the community's Fatimid heritage. Saifuddin laid substantial groundwork in terms of philanthropy, education, entrepreneurship, social outreach, political outreach, and community upliftment upon which his successors, Mohammed Burhanuddin and Mufaddal Saifuddin, continued to build, resulting in unprecedented era of prosperity among the Dawoodi Bohras.

<i>Pokkiri</i> 2007 film by Prabhu Deva

Pokkiri (transl.Rogue) is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Prabhu Deva. It is the Tamil remake of the 2006 Telugu film Pokiri starring Mahesh Babu. The film stars Vijay and Asin in the lead roles with Prakash Raj, Nassar, Mukesh Tiwari, Vadivelu, Sriman and Napoleon playing supporting roles. Mumaith Khan and Prabhu Deva make guest appearances. Nirav Shah handled cinematography while Kola Bhaskar was the film's editor. The music was composed by Mani Sharma, who also composed the original Telugu version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atharvaa</span> Indian actor (born 1989)

Atharvaa Murali is an Indian actor who works in Tamil cinema. The son of actor Murali and grandson of director S. Siddalingaiah, Atharvaa began his acting career with Baana Kaathadi (2010). He then garnered critical acclaim for his performance as a youngster suffering from delusion in the romantic thriller Muppozhudhum Un Karpanaigal (2012), before signing on to feature in Bala's period film Paradesi (2013). His role as a rural villager held as a slave in a tea plantation became his breakthrough performance, earning Atharvaa a Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parineeti Chopra</span> Indian actress (born 1988)

Parineeti Chopra is an Indian actress and singer who primarily works in Hindi films. Chopra is a recipient of several accolades, including a Filmfare and a National Film Award. Chopra has appeared in Forbes India's Celebrity 100 list since 2013.

<i>Tamasha</i> (soundtrack) 2015 soundtrack album by A. R. Rahman

Tamasha is the soundtrack album, composed by A. R. Rahman with song lyrics by Irshad Kamil, to the 2015 Hindi film of the same name, directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone in lead roles. The album features nine tracks, and was released on 16 October 2015 by T-Series. The songs cover genres like European dance, bhangra, opera, Hindustani classical and dubstep apart from experimental fusion of genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhumi Pednekar</span> Indian actress (born 1989)

Bhumi Pednekar is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Known for her portrayals of headstrong small-town women, she is the recipient of several awards including three Filmfare Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaditi Pohankar</span> Indian actress

Aaditi Pohankar is an Indian actress. She had her breakthrough role alongside Riteish Deshmukh in the Marathi action film Lai Bhaari (2014). She gained wider attention for her roles in the Hindi web series She and Aashram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ananya Panday</span> Indian actress (born 1998)

Ananya Panday is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. The daughter of actor Chunky Panday, she began her acting career in 2019 with roles in the teen film Student of the Year 2 and the comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh. These performances earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Her two subsequent films were poorly received, but she had a commercial success with a brief role in the comedy Dream Girl 2 (2023) and her performances in the dramas Gehraiyaan (2022) and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023) were well-received.

<i>Mithai</i> (film) 2019 Indian dark comedy film

Mithai (transl. Sweets) is a 2019 Indian Telugu-language black comedy film directed and produced by Prashant Kumar and starring Rahul Ramakrishna and Priyadarshi Pullikonda.

<i>Love Aaj Kal</i> (2020 film) 2020 Indian film directed by Imtiaz Ali

Love Aaj Kal is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Imtiaz Ali and starring Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan in lead roles, with Randeep Hooda and Arushi Sharma in pivotal supporting roles. Principal photography began in the first half of March 2019 and ended in July 2019. It was released in India on Valentine's Day 2020.

<i>Seven</i> (2019 Indian film) 2019 film directed by Nizar Shafi

Seven is a 2019 Indian mystery thriller film directed and filmed by Nizar Shafi, and produced by Ramesh Varma. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, the film features Havish, Rahman, Nandita Swetha and Regina Cassandra in lead roles.

<i>Chopsticks</i> (film) Indian Hindi-language comedy drama on Netflix

Chopsticks is an Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Sachin Yardi and produced by Ashvini Yardi. It stars Abhay Deol and Mithila Palkar in the lead roles. The film is a story of a woman who is referred to an enigmatic con man who agrees to help recover her stolen car from a thug for free, and how it brings about change in their lives. It was released on 31 May 2019 worldwide on Netflix.

<i>Durgamati</i> 2020 Indian horror thriller film by G. Ashok

Durgamati is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language horror thriller film written and directed by G. Ashok which is a remake of his own Telugu–Tamil bilingual film Bhaagamathie (2018). It stars Bhumi Pednekar as an IAS officer, with Arshad Warsi, Jisshu Sengupta and Mahie Gill playing supporting roles. The film is produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar and Vikram Malhotra under T-Series, Cape of Good Films and Abundantia Entertainment.

<i>Guilty</i> (2020 film) 2020 film by Ruchi Narain

Guilty is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language thriller drama film directed by Ruchi Narain and written by Ruchi Narain, Kanika Dhillon and Atika Chohan. Starring Kiara Advani, the film follows the story of a songwriter whose boyfriend is accused of rape during the era of #MeToo. The film is the first production venture of Dharmatic, the digital arm of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions. It was released on 6 March 2020 on Netflix.

<i>Aashram</i> Indian crime drama web series

Aashram is an Indian Hindi-language crime drama web series directed by Prakash Jha for MX Player original. It is produced by Prakash Jha under Prakash Jha Productions. The series stars Bobby Deol along with Aaditi Pohankar, Darshan Kumar, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Tushar Pandey, Anupriya Goenka, Adhyayan Suman, Vikram Kochhar, Esha Gupta, Tridha Choudhury, Rajeev Siddhartha, Sachin Shroff, Anurita Jha, Parinitaa Seth, Jahangir Khan, Kanupriya Gupta, Preeti Sood, Navdeep Tomar and Ayaan Aditya, in key roles. It is written by Madhvi Bhatt, Avinash Kumar, Sanjay Masoomm, Tejpal Singh Rawat and Kuldeep Ruhil. Its first season was made available for streaming on OTT platform MX Player for free from 28 August 2020.

<i>Wild Dog</i> (film) 2021 film by Ahishor Solomon

Wild Dog is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film written and directed by debutant Ahishor Solomon. Produced by Matinee Entertainment, the film stars Nagarjuna Akkineni, Dia Mirza, Saiyami Kher, and Atul Kulkarni. The film includes many terrorist incidents in India, including the Gokul Chat bomb blast in 2007 and the capture of Yasin Bhatkal. Wild Dog released theatrically on 2 April 2021 to positive reviews.

<i>Maha Samudram</i> 2021 film directed by Ajay Bhupathi

Maha Samudram (transl. 'Ocean') is a 2021 Indian Telugu-language romantic action drama film written and directed by Ajay Bhupathi. It is produced by Ramabrahmam Sunkara under AK Entertainments. It stars Siddharth, Sharwanand, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Anu Emmanuel. The music is composed by Chaitan Bharadwaj. The film is set in Visakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh. The film released on 14 October 2021. The film released amidst decent expectations but ended up as a box office disaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arushi Sharma</span> Indian actress

Arushi Sharma is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and series. She made her acting debut with a minor role in Imtiaz Ali's film Tamasha (2015) and received recognition for her work in Ali's Love Aaj Kal (2020). Sharma has since starred in the Netflix drama film Jaadugar (2022) and series Kaala Pani (2023).

References

  1. Arora, Akhil (4 March 2020). "Imtiaz Ali's She: Trailer, March Release Date Unveiled for New Netflix Series From India". NDTV. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  2. "In Netflix series 'She', an undercover constable takes on a ganglord". Scroll.in. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  3. "Aaditi Pohankar's Netflix series 'She' is about a female constable taking on a drug cartel". The Hindu. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  4. "Netflix drops power-packed trailer of Imtiaz Ali's crime-thriller 'She'". The Free Press Journal. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  5. "She Review: Women Deserve Better Than This Netflix Series". NDTV.com. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  6. "She Web Series Review Netflix Series | A Perfect Review". 23 May 2020. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. "She on Netflix". The Futon Critic . Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  8. News, Nagpur (23 June 2022). "Dawoodi Bohra community strongly condemns some scenes in Netflix series". Nagpur Today : Nagpur News. Retrieved 3 July 2022.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  9. "Netflix's She review: Imtiaz Ali's streaming debut could have been an intelligent thriller if not for its inherent male gaze". Firstpost. 23 March 2020.
  10. "She review: Imtiaz Ali's bad luck spills onto sleazy, sloppy new Netflix series". Hindustan Times. 20 March 2020.
  11. Ramnath, Nandini (20 March 2020). "'She' review: Profane games and limp erotic thrills in Imtiaz Ali's first web series for Netflix". Scroll.in.