Aarya: Sushmita Sen’s comeback... Bade acche lagte hain

Pehle dhanda mard chalate the, ab bache nahi, spites back Aarya to one of her colleagues who asks her if she was so capable of handling her family business, why did she not do it before. Earlier, midway through the series, when she asks the same colleague to resume working with her in their family business, he responds mockingly by asking who will run it as the men who used to manage it earlier aren’t available. The mocking turns into disbelief when Aarya indicates that she will run it. He says yes suggesting that it makes no difference whether it’s the men or Aarya, a woman, who handles it. His expression, however, indicates the exact opposite. He clearly doubts a woman’s ability to run a rough business of illegal drugs.

Sushmita Sen, as Aarya, is back with a bang on screen. She can remain suspended inverted on gymnastic ropes, raise 3 kids and is certainly the force behind her husband. Running her family business may not come naturally to her. But just like any mother, she will do what it takes to protect them.

Aarya, now streaming on Disney + Hotstar, based on the dutch drama Penoza, is about a woman who reluctantly takes charge of her family business to protect her kids. Written and directed by Ram Madhvani, of Neerja fame, this is a slick drama in which Sen stars as the titular character. It is refreshing to see her back after a long break in what is her finest performance till date. She has a strong presence on screen with her towering personality. She goes from a being a terrified and vulnerable woman to a strong and confident mother in matter of seconds. She steals the show here with a character that feels was written specifically with her in mind.

The story is straightforward and the screenplay restricts itself to the central plot. There are no unnecessary parallel developments or distractions to the main drama (except for a sub-plot involving Aarya’s daughter and her poem). This, in a way, makes it unique given the need of creators nowadays to add various socio-economic elements to a simple story. If not done well, it makes the series unnecessarily convoluted.

Chandrachur Singh, another smart casting choice, plays Aarya's husband Tej. He has a limited role but is cheerful with his presence. He loves his music and his family. He manages the business along with his brother-in-law, Sangram, played by Ankur Bhatia. Sangram is the spoilt rich kid who uses chopsticks to eat his Chinese food even in prison. He is overconfident and thinks he is smart enough to handle any problem. Sikandar Kher (Daulat) and Manish Chaudhary (Shekhawat) amongst others play key roles as well. We also have Vikas Kumar playing a gay Muslim cop – ACP Khan. It is pleasantly surprising that neither his sexual preference nor religion is used to send any kind of message. They are just character traits like being heterosexual or atheist.

The use of classic old hindi songs is a brilliant trope. The soothing Bade Acche lagte hain… is a favourite of Tej and plays repeatedly across the season. It represents his character and is reminiscent of his presence. Other famous melodies in sync with the situation on screen are played time and again.

Aarya belongs to an affluent crime family and has never wanted anything to do with the family’s business. But as we saw Walter White break bad (in Breaking Bad) for his family, we see Aarya here take the plunge in this dark world her father, husband and brother have left for her. In one of the interviews, Sushmita Sen herself likens her character to Michael Corleone of Godfather. Aarya observes how opium, which looks like any other innocent flower, transforms into a deadly poison in due time. She herself undergoes this transformation from a helpless mother to a crime boss. Watching Sushmita Sen flesh this out on screen is a delight. Or rather, bade acche lagte hain…

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