A resounding thriller with a compelling narrative
Barring very few, the audience is deprived of real thriller stuff in recent times. This void was filled by the web series, Expiry Date from North Star Entertainments which is streaming now on Zee5 in Hindi and Telugu versions.
Storyline
The story especially if it is a thriller should be kept under wraps and any little hint or revelation will spoil the entire watching experience so its decided not to give out much about the story except a synopsis.
It’s on the whole, a murder mystery involving two families, Vishwa (Tony Luke) and Sunitha (Madhu Shalini) whose spouses, Disha (Sneha Ullal), the wife of Vishwa, and Sunny (Ali Reza) the better half of Sunitha, who get disappear under mysterious circumstances as reported to the police.
The interesting part is there are many things common between these two disappearances. Its Deva (Bharath Reddy) who cracked many high profile cases is deputed to dig out the mystery behind these disappearances.
After coming to the conclusion that it was another open and shut case, Deva comes across some interesting leads as a result he digs deeper to reveal the actual truth behind this missing mystery.
Performances
It’s glad to see Madhu Shalini in a significant character after many days. She is one of those very rare natural actors who possess immense talent which got exposed one more time in Expiry Date. She is the highlight of this series which is high on intensity and hidden emotions.
Tony Luke too performed well but with limitations. Some of his expressions got stereotyped throughout the series. He should have shown some variation in his expressions for more betterment of his character.
Bharath Reddy overacts a bit and a cop need not wear dark shades and smoke endlessly to get recognized. His character should have been developed into a more decent and polished one instead of looking and behaving like a schoolchild who plays the character of a cop in a school drama.
Sneha Ullal, Ali Reza, Jennifer Piccinato, and ‘Temper’ Vamsi have done well to add the much-needed edge, not forgetting Venu who chipped in with a brilliant cameo performance.
Behind the scenes
Director Marthand K Shankar’s clarity on the story and screenplay he believed in was demonstrated in every frame. He aptly handled the suspense element by ending each episode on a new twist, which added more thrill flavour.
The narrative all through is slick except for some portions during concluding episodes which were dragged a bit, but overall he moulded Expiry Date to perfection in all areas without any serious hitches.
The loud and deafening background score by Anup Rubens is the only spoiler. The eerie silence might have elevated the narrative more in some spots in place of those blaring interludes.
Verdict & Rating
Expiry Date is a resounding thriller with a compelling narrative dotted with good writing and commendable execution. It provides the much-required reprieve for the audience who wants to watch some engaging series on their small screens.
It’s highly recommended for all as it’s devoid of any usual clichés of blood, skin show, and steamy lovemaking scenes or cuss words which have become synonymous with a thriller these days. It’s 100% pure thriller!
