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Cartel Ep 1 Review: This Supriya Pathak, Rithvik Dhanjani & Tanuj Virwani starrer is an interesting watch
Supriya Pathak as Rani Maai is phenomenal, but also reminds one of her similar outing as Dhankor Baa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.
Show Name: Cartel
Show Cast: Supriya Pathak, Rithvik Dhanjani, Tanuj Virwani, Divya Agarwal
Show Director: Prashant Bhagia
Gangster drama is one of the most popular film genres, and a plethora of movies and shows have been made in the past around the same theme. There is something about the subject that continues to attract the filmmakers and the audience alike. Maybe the curiosity around the lives of these characters, the never ending drama, and the scope for going all out with the narrative, can be a few reasons for revisiting the format every now and then.
Cartel falls under the same bracket, which has been conceptualised by Ekta Kapoor, who in the past too has backed a few crime-thrillers including the much celebrated Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai and Shootout at Lokhandwala. Yes, Cartel too has the same narrative of a city dominated by several powerful gang leaders, and particularly revolves around the Angre family which is led by Rani Maai. After the death of her husband, Rani takes over the business but cracks in the family start appearing when the matriarch goes into a coma. 
Despite this expected, tried-and-tested storyline, Cartel still manages to hold your attention, largely because of its neat screenplay and able performances. The first episode of Cartel introduces you to the Angre family’s world of crime, and many of their dichotomic personalities. It allows the audience to judge the characters, depending on their characteristics laid down by the filmmakers. However, with some smaller appearances like that of Khan and Anna, it also keeps the door open to introduce many more twists in the upcoming episodes with these characters.
Dialogues play an important part during the narrative, and some laden with humour add to the overall appeal of this show. For instance, in one of the scenes when a cop says, ‘Yeh phone hai ya aam aadmi, kisi ko iski awaz sunai nai deti kya?’ - is a very strong statement, yet also manages to crack you up. Talking about the performances, Supriya Pathak as Rani Maai is phenomenal, but also reminds one of her similar outing as Dhankor Baa in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. Tanuj Virwani as Major Bhau is impressive, while Rithvik Dhanjani’s outing as Abhay Angre will surprise the audience. The background score is also just what is expected out of a gangster drama.
Overall, Cartel seems to be an interesting watch, and has the potential to keep the audience hooked.
Note: This review is based on the first episode of the series.
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