36 Days is a skippable, boring crime thriller with some good performances that go to waste
Director: Vishal Furia
Cast: Neha Sharma, Shruti Seth, Sharib Hashmi, Amruta Khanvilkar, Purab Kohli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Sushant Divgikar, Shernaz Patel, Faisal Rashid and Kenneth Desai.
Where To Watch: SonyLIV
Ratings: 2 stars
Crime thrillers seem to have become the favourite genre of OTT. Scoress of them are released week after week but only manage to hit the mark and generate interest among the audience. 36 Days, sadly, isn't one of those. The Neha Sharma-starrer is yet another crime thriller that has no thrill, failing to capture the attention of the viewer.
36 Days is an adaptation of the British series 35 Days that revolves around a well-off suburban housing estate in Goa, which is shattered when the lifeless body of Farah Zaidi (Neha Sharma) is discovered in her home. This grim discovery catapults us back 36 days earlier, to the moment when Farah stepped foot into Casa De Magnolia. What follows is five parallel storylines, which intersect with each other and ultimately lead to uncovering the murderer.
The 8-episode series is a perfect example of what a crime thriller should not be. The entire thrill in a crime thriller is depenedent on the writing and that is the very point that 36 Days fails to keep in mind. The first episode is too slow and tests your patience. Sadly, it does not get any better from then on.By the second episode, any casual murder mystery fan would have solved the 'mystery'. You expect at least some good twists and turns, but for some reason the writers forgot to add any. The direction looks lazy with no shockers, and some lazy behind-the-bush shots being used for building up the mystery, which only serves to annoy you.
Neha Sharma as Farah Zaidi, the pretty girl in the locality who drives all men crazy, is average. Purab Kohli and Shruti Seth impress with their performance as a couple with trust issues and problems. Amruta Khanvilkar and Sharib Hashmi are exceptional and quite convincing as middle-class couple trying to adjust in a high-class society. Their emotions is what makes them most relatable. Chandan Roy Sanyal makes you detest him but leaves you feeling emotional for him at the end.
However, the one actor who shines in the series for me is Sushant Divgikar. They ace the role of Tarun/Tanya, a man who wishes to undergo sex change surgery. Another actor who stands out is Shernaz Patel, who is not only believable but also makes you pity her despite her annoying habits. The series is set in Goa but you never feel it while watching. The city or setting adds no character to the story.
The switching of the stories could have been smoother so that the viewer doesn't lose interest. The show doesn't seem to do justice to an ensemble cast who gives their all and present you with a powerful performance despite a dull, predictable and boring storyline.
36 Days has nothing new to offer other than some good songs, solvable mysteries and only crimes. It is only worth watching if you like your predictions about a series' plot coming true. The dull series will make you regret your decision to watch it and haunt you for another 36 days. Your hunt for a suspenseful mystery thriller will not end here but might make you hate the genre till something genuinely good comes up.
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 "Neha Sharma in 36 Days")
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