The Hindi streaming series “Taaza Khabar” second season is finally out on Disney+ Hotstar. With the first season, released in 2023, the promise had been that something unique and quirky was being dished out: Vasant, the toilet attendant, played by Bhuvan Bam receives divine notifications on his phone that would predict events ahead of time. The supernatural gift catapults his life from rags to riches. However, every rise has its fall, and Vasant’s fortunes take a dramatic turn by the end of the first season. The cliffhanger left viewers wondering about Vasant’s fate after he received the notification of his death.
Struggling to Recapture the Magic
Much like where season one left off, season two falls flat on trying to recapture that magic. This series, created by Aziz Dalal, Hussain Dalal, and Abbas Dalal, and directed by Himank Gaur, tries its best to succeed but ends up stale and uninspired. Ultimately, this show left viewers waiting with the grandest question: “Did Vasant really die?”. The above scenario changes considerably, though Vasant is well alive, but going through a tired cycle of trying to pay off an ever-increasing debt to the underworld don Yusuf, played by Jaaved Jafferi.
Vasant’s Struggles in Love and Family
The six episodes of the second season revolve around Vasant’s attempts to repay Yusuf. Then there’s the boggling stakes-rather absurd, even with Yusuf raising the debt sum arbitrarily from 100 crore to 500 crore, and then to a 1,000 crore-if only apparently for his own amusement. In Vasant’s case, gathering such an enormous amount translates into a series of hare-brained schemes, ushered in by himself and his loyal friends, Peter (Prathamesh Parab) and Mehboob (Deven Bhojani). Meanwhile, Vasant also tries to mend his strained relationships with his parents – Vijay Nikam and Atisha Naik – and ex-girlfriend Madhu, played by Shriya Pilgaonkar.
A Dangerous Pursuit Begins
Vasant’s tribe, from his helpless parents who see no harm in his misdeeds, his friend and sidekick Peter, to the bakery owner Mehboob, all seem to exist only in order to serve Vasant’s whims. They can take a bullet or be bullied around according to his tomfoolery. The biggest crisis, however, waits. The menacing anti-hero Yusuf makes his grand entry into the film, determined not to leave Vasant alone even in death.
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The Struggle of New Characters in the Spotlight
The “Taaza Khabar” new season introduces a few new characters to the scenario like the political figure Smita (Gauri Pradhan Tejwani), who attempts to control Yusuf but instead leaves him pompous. The performances are very ordinary even with good actors like Jaaved Jafferi. Jafferi’s scene’s become quite farcical, and the rest of the cast has not much to offer as well.
Moments of Humor
Indeed, one of the few bright spots in this series is the dialogue, which, despite being replete with profanity and excrement jokes, occasionally delivers gems. For instance, Vasant’s class-conscious parents seriously declare to Yusuf, “We will pay you back in installments.” Vasant himself has one hilarious line: “Nobody lets me die in peace!” But such moments of levity are only fleeting, and it is regrettable that the show lacked irony where plot developments are concerned.
Disruptive Flashbacks
One of the major issues with the second season is flashbacks. The jump cuts throughout the season were far too frequent and jarring and disrupted the flow of the narrative, adding not much benefit to the current action. Given that this show’s premise is based on the main character’s ability to see the future, these flashes seemed especially gratuitous and out of place.
Missing the Mark
The entire Taaza Khabar second season could have fit into two episodes and been appended to the first season. Instead, they chose to stretch the story thin and resulted in a series that tests the viewer’s patience. A new season with a lack of freshness and excitement that made the first season a hit is something we do not need.
Now, the conceit of “Taaza Khabar” has run its course, but there are still six episodes to find new notifications elongate the narrative a little more. The writing is extremely derivative and runs into the same circles of new plans, but bigger flops in execution where someone gets killed. There are no consequences whatsoever. The police are sleeping, there is no investigation into the crimes, no one bats an eyelid, and the city of Mumbai is as non-existent in its fabric as ever.
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