बेतरह बेगम

बेतरह बेगम: My quick take on ‘Bombay Begums’ (Netflix)

The best part of this mini-series ( now removed from Netflix) is that it claims to be a work of fiction. Gosh!! I wished the same, as I found the four begums in the plot to be very alien to the society from which I come from. You can blame my middle-class sensibilities, that in my entire professional career I have never come across such career-minded characters. It is not wrong to aspire big, but stooping to any level to reach there is something which I would never prescribe.

If you leave aside the sleaze and unwanted intimate scenes and smooches which are many and force-fitted in the plot, one may find the four female characters played by Pooja Bhat, Amruta Subash, Shahana Goswami, and plabita borthakur likable. Individually everyone has done a good job, I somehow liked the performance of Pooja Bhat who plays Private Banks' top CEO. She has carried herself very well. It's case of vintage wine aged gracefully.

The makers made a mess in making a ‘choti would be begum’ who is just a 13-year-old teenage girl, the narrator of the plot. The entire web series is presented through her eyes. I just found it very odd and unpalatable. Though I do not endorse censorship of any kind on creative work, in this case, National Child welfare has raised pertinent objections. How can you allow a 13-year-old to comment and perform acts not suitable to her age?

In the place where I live, there is ‘Begum’s’ Restaurant, which is known for finger-licking Hyderabadi dum biryani. The web series had a wonderful chance of serving a sumptuous Begum’s Biryani but ended up serving a bland khichadi. Now since the series is pulled off from Netflix, it will foolish on my part to recommend or not recommend this series to you all. Just in case you want to get a taste of begums then watch Four more shots once again (in case you have not watched it earlier ) it is equally ridiculous series 😏