Star Cast: Arshad Warsi, Vikrant Massey, Vir Hirani
Director: Avinash Arun Dhaware
Synopsis:
PRITAM AND PEDRO is the story of a cop and his unusual accomplice. Pritam Parkar (Vir Hirani) lives in North Goa with his grandfather (Vinod Nagpal), whose most cherished possession, a tape recorder containing a cassette of a song recorded by his late wife, goes missing. For the old man, the cassette is not just an object, but his last living memory of her, and its loss leaves him shattered. Pritam approaches the police for help, but when they refuse to take the matter seriously, he gets into an altercation with them and thus lands behind bars. At the same time, the police force is under pressure after an ATM containing Rs. 28 lakhs is stolen. While at the police station, Pritam tells senior cop Pedro Gonsalves (Arshad Warsi) that he can identify the culprits in just 15 minutes. Pedro, convinced that the young man is bluffing, challenges him to prove it. Much to everyone’s surprise, Pritam, a gifted hacker, cracks the case within the promised time. Impressed by his skills and moved by his plight, Pedro agrees to help him trace his grandfather’s missing tape recorder. Meanwhile, Pedro’s own life is far from smooth. After rubbing Sports Minister D N Sardesai (Satyadeep Misra) the wrong way, he is transferred to the Cyber Cell, a posting he despises. His personal life, too, is in turmoil as he is constantly at loggerheads with his wife Stacey (Mona Singh). Things take a dramatic turn when Sardesai’s son Vinny (Shreyansh Kaurav) is kidnapped. Since Pedro is now part of the Cyber Cell, he is brought in to assist with the investigation. Realizing that solving the case could earn him a ticket back to the Crime Branch, Pedro ropes in Pritam as part of his team. However, the mission is far from easy, as the kidnapper, Martin (Vikrant Massey), is not only ruthless but also technologically sharp. What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Pritam And Pedro Story Review:
PRITAM AND PEDRO is inspired by the books ‘Hidden Files’ and ‘Return Of The Trojan Horse’ by Amit Dubey. Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi and Suyash Trivedi’s story has great twists and turns and moreover, it is very relevant to today’s times. Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi and Suyash Trivedi’s screenplay is fast-paced and doesn’t have any dull moment. Hirani is known for his laugh-cry-drama formula and he uses it smartly here. However, at the same time, the writing has rough edges as well. Pranjal Saxena, Shashank Kunwar and Rajkumar Hirani’s dialogues are funny and they also add to the drama.
Avinash Arun Dhaware’s direction is captivating. He keeps the runtime of each of the six episodes tightly in check, with every episode ranging between 33 and 37 minutes. With Rajkumar Hirani’s trademark laugh-cry-drama formula at play, the series moves at a brisk pace, at times, perhaps a little too fast. Nevertheless, it works as the viewer remains consistently hooked to the proceedings. The principal characters are a lot of fun; one is technologically challenged, while the other is a pro, and the way they complement each other makes for a delightful watch. Pedro’s scenes with his wife Stacey and with Carlos (Zakir Hussain) are memorable. The kidnapping track takes the show to another level, and it only gets better with the entry of Martin. The sequence where Martin pretends to have hidden a camera in Sardesai’s residence, and the chaos that follows, is quite nail-biting. Moreover, the series is packed with several twists and turns, ensuring that one can never predict where the story will head next.
On the flipside, the series has too many cinematic liberties. The manner in which Martin repeatedly outsmarts the cops and manages to escape every single time becomes a bit difficult to digest after a point. In the beginning, CCTV footage conveniently comes to Pritam’s rescue when he solves the ATM robbery case. However, later, the same device is almost forgotten, even though it could have helped the investigation move much faster. Another issue is that the makers rush through certain portions, possibly to ensure that the interest levels don’t dip. As a result, one doesn’t properly connect with a few emotional and dramatic aspects. For instance, one doesn’t feel as deeply for Pritam’s grandfather and his loss as one ideally should. A few developments, such as the revelation about Pedro’s son, also come up rather suddenly. Similarly, Pedro’s ‘Eureka’ moment about Vinny’s whereabouts and Pritam’s realization that Shraddha (Shruti Marathe) is hiding something feel too abrupt. The news channel sequence towards the end is unexpected, but also comes across as rather silly.
Pritam And Pedro Performances:
Arshad Warsi, as always, delivers a sincere and entertaining performance. He does great in comic scenes, but watch out for him in the confrontational and emotional sequences. Vikrant Massey has a late entry but makes up for it with his terrific villainous act. Vir Hirani makes a confident debut and looks quite dashing. Performance-wise, he’s first rate. Mona Singh is superb as always. However, her screen time is quite limited and, in fact, she’s forgotten by the makers completely in the middle. The same goes for Vinod Nagpal. Satyadeep Misra and Shruti Marathe leave a huge mark. Jayant Gadekar (Jayant Rege; constable) steals the show in several scenes. Shreyansh Kaurav and Zakir Hussain are fine. Nachiket Purnapatre (Hari; bookie and blackmailer) is impressive. Naina Sareen (Sherlyn; Cyber Cell officer) lends able support. Bhavna Pani (Ana Goretti; journalist) is decent but her character crops up all of a sudden. Mohit Chauhan (DIG Arvind Rao) is fair. Sanjay Dutt and Virender Sehwag’s cameos are funny. The other actor with a hilarious special appearance is Harshika Kewalramani (Chakachak Chandni; influencer).
Pritam And Pedro music and other technical aspects:
The title song is forgettable but ‘Piya Piya Piya’, sung by Shreya Ghoshal, is beautiful. Sanjay Wandrekar’s background score is peppy while the theme used for Vikrant Massey’s scenes is quite chilling. Avinash Arun Dhaware’s cinematography, as always, is quite breathtaking and immersive. Prashant Bidkar’s production design is rich, while Harshika Kewalramani and Heer Doshi’s costumes are authentic. Sham Kaushal’s action is realistic. The VFX is appropriate, but AI seems to have been used in the images of Boman Irani and Shruti Marathe, and it’s quite tacky. Rajkumar Hirani’s editing is razor sharp.
Pritam And Pedro Review Conclusion:
On the whole, PRITAM AND PEDRO works due to its nail-biting narrative, fast-paced storytelling, the relevance of its cybercrime backdrop and the dependable presence of Arshad Warsi. However, the cinematic liberties and a few rushed developments dent the impact to some extent. Nevertheless, due to the subject, casting and Rajkumar Hirani’s association, the show is bound to generate curiosity and attract viewership.
Rating – 3.5 stars
Also Read: BREAKING: Sanjay Dutt, Virender Sehwag feature in HILARIOUS cameos in Pritam And Pedro
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