Star Cast: Jim Sarbh, Naseeruddin Shah, Vaibhav Tatwawadi
Web Series Review: MADE IN INDIA: A TITAN STORY is a brilliantly made show that tells a fascinating story
Director: Robbie Grewal
Synopsis:
MADE IN INDIA: A TITAN STORY is the story of how a renowned brand came into existence. The year is 1978. Xerxes Desai (Jim Sarbh) is ‘loaned’ by the Tata Company to NBIDC (New Bombay Industrial Development Corporation) to construct the Vashi Bridge near Bombay (present-day Mumbai). He returns to Tata office after 5 years and instantly gets bored with the desk work. He complains about it to his boss, JRD Tata (Naseeruddin Shah). Tata gives him a challenge – get Tata Press out of losses. Xerxes instantly starts working on it and as part of his work, he meets Shankar Manoharan (Ashwath Bhatt), who once worked for the Archaeology Department. He informs Xerxes that imported watches are the most smuggled items in the country. Xerxes is astonished by the trivia and starts researching more on this subject. He realizes that there’s a potential to create a watch company that is made in India and will be as classy and prestigious for the user as a foreign-made watch. JRD Tata is impressed by the idea and gives his go-ahead. However, the road ahead is full of challenges. What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Made In India: A Titan Story Review:
MADE IN INDIA: A TITAN STORY is inspired by the book ‘Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand’ by Vinay Kamath. The story is unbelievable. Karan Vyas, Kandarp Shroff and Niraj Dasa’s screenplay is highly captivating and is peppered with heartwarming and goosebumps-inducing moments. The writers have ensured that the show doesn’t get confusing despite the use of complex jargon regarding the technicalities of designing a watch. Karan Vyas, Kandarp Shroff and Niraj Dasa’s dialogues are simple and funny as required. A few one-liners about paper leak, India being a superpower etc. are quite topical as well.
Robbie Grewal’s direction is captivating. He is equipped with a story that not many are aware of – what the Tatas went through to create the Titan brand. The story follows the template of MISSION MANGAL, ROCKET BOYS etc. But in these stories, one can imagine that there must have been hiccups as India was taking a giant leap in the field of space. In that regard, MADE IN INDIA: A TITAN STORY will surprise the viewers. They’ll be stunned to know that the team faced innumerable challenges, despite the backing of Tata, that too for creating a watch brand. Even after the watch entered the market, the challenges didn’t stop. Moreover, the show not just entertains but also enlightens. It educates how the word ‘Titan’ came into being, the story behind the iconic Titan theme etc. and this again would impress the viewers. What would also be lapped up is how JRD Tata stood rock solid with Xerxes and was a mentor as well as a friend to him. In fact, the bond that Xerxes shares with everyone in the team is heartwarming. A few scenes that stand out are JRD Tata being humiliated by Andre Jauba head Eric (Nicolas Dominique Frederic Facino), Xerxes’ unique idea of stopping the strike in the first scene, a foreign consultant named Josh (Varanda Andreetta Joao Pedro) being given idlis as a farewell gift, the confrontation between Xerxes and Akash Dixit (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) at the retirement party, etc.
On the flipside, the interest drops in a few places in the fifth and sixth episode. It becomes difficult at times to keep track on whether Xerxes and his team are in Bengaluru or Hosur. The track of the watches having higher sales in the South than the North is interesting and it’s also easy to understand why it was happening. Yet, the makers show the Tata team struggling to find out the reason. The final scene is sweet, but at the same time, the show ends on a somewhat abrupt note.
Made In India: A Titan Story Performances:
Jim Sarbh, as expected, rocks the show. Xerxes is not a perfect man and has its share of flaws. This aspect is brought out beautifully by the reputed actor. Watch out for the scene when he is presented with the first-ever watch by his team. It’ll moisten the eyes of the viewers. Naseeruddin Shah brings out the classy and sincere side of JRD Tata and does full justice to his role. Vaibhav Tatwawadi delivers a very pleasing performance and he’s as important to the plot as Jim and Naseeruddin. Kaveri Seth (Megha Mhatre) is terrific while Lakshvir Singh Saran (Gaurav Dhar) gives his best shot. The latter’s dialogue on the importance of Akash is clapworthy. Namita Dubey (Rajini Desai; Xerxes’ wife), Joy Sengupta (S K Gopalan) and Ashwath Bhatt lend able support. Viraf Patel (Murli Shankar Dalmia aka MSD) has a late entry and is lovely. Paresh Ganatra (Ravindra Naik and Devendra Naik) puts up an adorable act. Ankith Madhav (Sameer Reddy; ex-GMT employee), Shilpa Iyer (Pooja; ex-GMT employee) and Satyen Chaturvedi (A J Kumar; ex-GMT employee) don’t get much scope, but they leave a mark in the scene where they are tempted to join Titan. Prateeksha Lonkar (Sudha; Megha’s mother), Rahul Dev (Mastaan Bhai), Krunal Pandit (Mahesh Mody), Rupali Atre (Pinks), Aarthi Thakur (Kumud; Akash’s wife), Nicolas Dominique Frederic Facino and Varanda Andreetta Joao Pedro also do well.
Made In India: A Titan Story music and other technical aspects:
There are no original songs, but several old songs have been well-woven into the narrative. The use of ‘Kya Hua Tera Vaada’ will raise a lot of laughs. Abhishek Nailwal’s background score is in sync with the show’s mood and zone.
Aditya Kapur’s cinematography gives the show a classy touch. Rachana Mandal and Nandita Singh’s production design and Vishakha Kullarwar and Joe Mansoor’s costumes are authentic and well-researched. JM VFX Studio’s VFX and Framing Black’s AI shots are appealing. Nibedya Samal and Akash Bundhoo’s editing is fine, though it could have been slicker in a few scenes.
Made In India: A Titan Story Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MADE IN INDIA: A TITAN STORY is a brilliantly made show that tells a fascinating story not many are aware of. The performances by Jim Sarbh, Naseeruddin Shah and the rest of the cast are the icing on the cake. It ranks among the finest shows in the Indian digital space and definitely deserves wide viewership. Recommended!
Rating – 4 stars
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