Vivek games

The basic plot touches upon a host of burning issues--right from LGBTQ relationships to betting-- but doesn't really explore them in detail. This, however, is not a major complaint as the franchise has never really been synonymous with depth. Moreover, the racy execution keeps one hooked, which is essentially the hallmark of a watchable show.

The opening episode of the series deals with the impact of what had transpired in the last season. The narrative initially focuses on the strained relationship between Vikrant Dhawan, played by Vivek Oberoi, and his 'Bhaisaab'. The Omkara actor, who got the limited scope in the last season, makes his presence felt this time around with dialogues such as 'my wounds keep me alive'.

The scenes focusing on his battles with drug abuse and his harsh childhood highlight the character's human side. His sequences with Richa Chadha's Zarina work well as the makers manage to highlight their past through telling flashbacks and biting exchanges. The chequered relationship between Vayu and Arvind Vashisht, played by a restrained Angad Bedi, was one of the key aspects of the first two seasons.

One really misses their exchanges as the Pink actor isn't part of Inside Edge 3. The makers try to compensate by focusing on the tension between Vayu and Rohit. The ploy, however, falls flat as the dynamics between them aren't fleshed out too well even by the standards associated with the franchise. In fact, it ends up being an afterthought by the time all is said and done. Some of the sequences, especially the ones involving Sidhant Gupta's Imaad Akbar, have political undertones.

These passing references blend with the core plot reasonably well and don't stick out like a sore thumb. Inside Edge 3 gets a bit predictable at certain points. He lauds the show writer for giving the actors a solid source material to build upon, "But the writers that we have on 'Inside Edge' are phenomenal. In each season there was a new challenge where they would create a whole new arc and a whole different evolution of that character.

He adds, "In this season, there's a whole different graph to Vikrant Dhawan. So even though it's the same character, you have to make it different and yet make it look like it has continuity. So that to me was an amazing challenge and luckily I could pull it off but while we were shooting for the initial few days I was quite nervous.

Commenting on how the prosthetic scars of Vikrant helped him deliver a calculated performance, Vivek says, "In this season, you see Vikrant pre the scar and Vikrant post the scar.

So you see the whole journey. After I finished my process of getting into the character I would lie back and the prosthetics team would make a scar on my face. He continues, "I purposely would not see while it the scar was being made. But, the minute they made the scar, I'd open my eyes, touch the scar and I'd immediately transform to Vikrant Dhawan, who has flown to the top, crashed to the bottom and is now rising back.

I'd touch the scar, and it served as a reminder to fuel his vengeance. Thousands of villagers attended the last journey of the soldier. Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter.

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