Chacha Vidhayak hai hamare

 STORY: Just when Ronny’s dream to become a politician seems to be materializing, a scheming opponent is all set to spoil the party. As the tide turns against him, will Ronny be able to keep his friends close and enemies closer?

REVIEW: The first season of ‘Chacha Vidhayak Hai Hamare’ (CVHH) was a refreshing take on a politically motivated small town of India, where name-dropping is a norm to instill fear and get things done. The show’s creator and protagonist Zakir Khan used his innate charm and trademark humour to drive home the point while cashing in on his ‘Sakht Launda’ image. But the season 2 starts to falter from the first episode itself with a wafer-thin plot and terribly weak writing. Most of the characters from the first season are retained for consistency, but the story has nothing new to offer. This time, we see Ronny (Zakir Khan) and his two besties Anwar (Vyom Sharma) and Kranti (Kumar Varun) trying to live their political and entrepreneurial ambitions, but just like the show’s overall narrative, it doesn’t seem to go anywhere. This time, Ronny has to slug it out with Vicky (Sunny Hinduja) – a London-return smooth talker, who is vying for the party ticket from Chachaji (Abhimanyu Singh). As always women have precious little to do in this all-male show where they are reduced to either being a prop in the house or flirting with the hero.

The biggest problem is the fact that everyone seems largely uninterested in putting up a decent performance and it feels like the actors are just going through the motions. Zakir Khan’s act as Ronny is listless and absolutely devoid of any real emotion that can make you root for him. His forte, comedy is sorely missing from the show and there isn’t a single moment that stands out as hilarious or even remotely funny. For a show that slots itself in the comedy genre, this is its biggest undoing.

Actors playing Ronny’s friends add little value to the already jaded storyline and the only two actors who seem to be having some fun are those with the grey shades. Abhimanyu Singh, with his bushy eyebrows and evil smile, manages to instill some fear while Sunny Hinduja makes for a formidable opponent. A seasoned character actor like Zakir Hussain, who plays Ronny’s father is wasted. And if all of that wasn’t enough, the show ends abruptly, perhaps a cue for us to know that season 3 is in the offing.

Overall, this one’s a wasted opportunity for a show that could have been a satirical comedy on how politics, middle-class families and its youth are intertwined in India’s smaller cities. Instead, ‘CVHH’ turns out to be a soulless affair with below-par performances, a dull script and boring execution.