Caution: A highly unedited 3k word rant written by a highly sleep deprived person. Read at your own risk. 

~*~

So, it's been a while since I started watching 'Ishq Mein Marjawaan 2' on Colors. As you all know, I did a rant review on the show as well and I've gotten quite attached to it over the past few weeks. It's my newfound love for Rrahul Sudhir (not just his on screen character Vansh Raisinghania-his acting limitations notwithstanding- but also his off screen personality- the way he's handled his COVID situation and come back stronger, his playfulness and humility on social media, as well as his camaraderie with the whole cast and crew of the show) that ultimately convinced me to check out the rest of his filmography, and funnily enough I was quite surprised to see that his first well-known acting credit was for the Vikram Bhatt web original series 'Twisted'.

When Vikram Bhatt first started dishing out shows on his own web platform around 2017, I was quite aware of how popular 'Twisted' had become. However, I'd solemnly promised to steer clear of any web shows that he'd created because I assumed that they'd be exactly like the kind of films he produces-cringeworthy, second-rate, sleazy, horror/thriller erotic films whose only saving grace is their music. Also, his films seem to bring out the worst among the cast members. I still hurl at the thought of Sharman Joshi's (an otherwise, dependable actor) god awful performance in '1920 London' (Yes, I am guilty of having watched that film. I just liked the track 'Aaj Ro Len De' and wanted to check the context behind it, man. So sue me...).

Nevertheless, after watching the trailer I decided to break my promise to myself and check the show out for two reasons-the major one of course being that Rrahul was in it, and the minor one being that I was curious to see how Nia Sharma had evolved as a performer from her 'Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai' days (something I'd read a lot of positive feedback about in 2017, when 'Twisted' released).

And now that I have watched it, as usual, my opinions are surfacing quite explosively (just like word vomit, as I'd described in my previous announcement), so I just have to pen it all down to get it out of my system! So, let's dive right in, shall we?

The first episode of 'Twisted' season one, kicks off with a monologue by the female protagonist of the show, Aliyah Mukherjee (played by Nia, of course), breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the viewers. It's almost as if she's narrating her own story and offering the audience a disclaimer as if to view it with objective eyes and not judge her for her actions.

We're quickly introduced to the basic plot of the show. Renowned businessman Ranbeer Raichand's (played by Namit Khanna) wife Naina, is raped and murdered in their own home, and the police (nay, CID-are you imagining ACP Pradyuman saying 'kuch toh gadbad hai' and Daya kicking down the door in response? Cause I definitely am...) take charge of the case immediately and turn up to investigate. But don't worry, the officers are pretty easy on the eyes- Inspector Aryan (Is it weird that Vansh's brother's name is Aryan as well in Ishq Mein Marjawaan 2? SMH) Mathur, played by my current 'aankhon ka taara', Rrahul Sudhir and Inspector Disha Agarwal, played by Tia Bajpai.

The suspect pool is immediately zeroed down to two individuals- Ranbeer himself and his mistress- the popular fashion model, Aliyah Mukherjee (who doesn't seem to speak a word of Bengali despite having a bong surname. Kind of a red flag, don't you think? But then again, I'm kind of a red flag as well. LMAO). Also, Vikram Bhatt seems to be some kind of soothsayer of sorts. Aliyah and Ranbeer as the leads in 2017? It's almost as if he foresaw the Ranbir Kapoor-Alia Bhatt relationship a while before they made it official.

Ultimately, the show evolves into a Rashomon (this is a gross extrapolation of the quality of the show, I can literally feel Akira Kurosawa turning over in his grave) style he-said, she-said story (a more recent example of the template would be the 2017 thriller film 'Ittefaq' starring Sidharth Malhotra, Sonakshi Sinha and no doubt, the main man, Akshaye Khanna) with both Aliyah and Ranbeer trying to pin the crime on each other through their official statements.

Who committed the murder? Which one of them is lying? Or are they both covering aspects of the truth? These are the questions the viewers get the answers to by the time the credits roll for the last episode of the first season.

First things first, let's address my apprehensions about the show and how many of them actually turned out to be legitimate. As expected, the pitch of the show is a tad hammy and unrealistic. Some of the lines (specifically the portions with swearing involved) are quite embarrassing to sit through as well. Especially the way the police officers just draw immediate conclusions from the crime scene in the first episode without any doubts, whatsoever. Another fact is that the story proceeds mostly as a flashback within a flashback and this, as I've said in even one of my book reviews is a recipe for confusion. However, I will admit, after the initial few episodes, the story does settle into itself and make for an engaging watch, especially because you get to see two versions of the 'truth' and decide who or what to believe.

Although the episodes with Ranbeer and Alia's statements move at a breakneck pace, once they are over and done with, Aryan's plan to arrange surveillance for the both of them so as to unveil the true identity of the killer is beyond silly. Are the police supposed to depend on the suspects themselves in order to find the perpetrator? Shouldn't they at least consider  that there might be other suspects in the case as well?

These are questions we must not think of. For multiple episodes, the police basically sit on their asses while Ranbeer and Aliyah literally solve the crime for them. Great going, huh?

But since the show is named 'Twisted', it's kind of incomplete with your Abbas-Mustan style masala isn't it? So, the apparent resolution is definitely not what it seems and Inspector Aryan vows to get to the bottom of it. And I will admit, I didn't see some of the final reveal that comes the audience's way in the last few episodes, which makes me conclude that despite all its shortcomings 'Twisted' has a pretty solid mystery at its core. 

However, it fails to answer the more poignant questions about the story line. Stuff like-what kind of toll does the quest for revenge really take on a person? Is there any objective reality at all or is reality always a perception as expressed by a particular individual (a fact that has been debated in philosophy)? Asking the show to answer these is clearly too tall an order.

Coming to the performances, it was GREAT to see Nia shed the image of her previous roles and get into the skin of a selfish, manipulative, crafty and tantalizing character such as Aliyah's. She practically owns every frame she's in, and it's truly a joy to watch her because it's quite rare to find a female character of such a demeanour in any Indian television show/film (the closest possible, would again be Jennifer Winget's Maya from Beyhadh). That being said, she does descend into soap level theatrics in some of the more emotional scenes, and I think that with time, she'll eventually be able to work around this and deliver a pitch perfect performance.

Unfortunately, I felt as if Namit's performance was serviceable at best. To me, he was quite unconvincing in a few scenes, especially when they involved seducing Aliyah. Somehow, he just can't muster the requisite charm that such a douchebag of a character needs in order to be well-liked by the audience. And it's not that I'm being biased because I'm watching the show mainly for Rrahul (who has a much smaller part in season 1 as compared to season 2). I tried watching Namit's 2018 TV series 'Yeh Pyaar Nahi toh Kya Hai?'(This show has an amazing title track by Rahul Jain BTW, you guys should really check it out) way before 'Ishq mein Marjawaan 2' and didn't like his acting in that either.

Also, what's up with his weird ass gelled hair? He looks as if he's an F. Scott Fitzgerald wannabe or something.

Another laughable moment-what is this strange expression while experiencing paralysis?

I can totally imagine Major Ram (sorry for the repeated 'Main Hoon Na' references peeps, I love him a lot) going- 'Mooh toh band karo, Uncle'. I swear, makkhi ya machchar ghus jaayenge.

And oh, no! Kya pata ek makkhi Simar nikle? Sorry, I couldn't resist. That show makes itself such an easy target LMAO.

I did like Rrahul's restrained performance as Aryan, despite the limited scope that his part offered him. What's interesting is that though 'Twisted' season 1 seems to be a cat and mouse game between Aliyah and Ranbeer initially, it actually metamorphoses into a game of a similar suit between Aliyah and law enforcement (or in other words, Aryan). And just like that, the stage is subconsciously (I say subconsciously cause the writers were obviously unsure as to whether a second season would be commissioned for the series or not) set for season 2.

Season 2 starts off three years after the conclusion of season 1. Aliyah seems to have moved on pretty successfully, but Aryan is frozen in the same moment as where we left him in season 1. Disappointed and dejected at having been unable to apprehend Aliyah for her crimes (due to lack of evidence, of course), his bruised ego and guilt appears to have transformed into a dangerous obsession of sorts. He's gone into a complete downward spiral, being suspended from the police force, as well as resorting to excessive alcohol to drown his emotions (Kabir Singh vibes, anyone? I guess he's just missing the shades. But nah, he's not exactly a high functioning alcoholic like Kabir is).

There's of course, a token best friend Aru who's trying to help him mend his ways, but Aryan is obviously as stubborn as a mule and isn't having any of it.

In fact, his zeal to put Aliyah behind bars is so extreme, that he decides to commit a murder himself and pin it on her in order to serve justice(or is it to get his revenge?). And thus the game of one-upmanship  kicks off between them more formally, with each trying to best the other.

Honestly, the premise reminded me of the Japanese novel by Keigo Higashino, 'The Devotion of suspect X', where the use of multiple murders is used as a cover to misdirect law enforcement about a singular one (Oops, I guess I kind of ruined the book for some, but it's still worth the read, guys!).

Apart from that, the dynamic that exists between Aryan and Aliyah initially, is reminiscent of Stella and Paul's in the acclaimed BBC crime thriller, 'The Fall'. Aryan's determination to nab Aliyah isn't just a plain obsession. He's equal parts angry and enamoured with her for reasons he's unwilling to admit to himself (just like Stella is in 'The Fall'). Despite the fact that she's technically his enemy, it's clear from the way he addresses Aliyah (as 'Aap' of course, instead of 'Tum') that he has a great deal of respect (or is it love? *scratches chin conspicuously*) for her. So much so, that he even ends up beating someone who refers to her as 'a slut' at his alcoholics anonymous meeting.

However, the main difference is that Aryan and Aliyah predictably give in to their 'fatal attraction' (as Aliyah puts it), while Paul and Stella remain platonic and safe on their respective sides of the law. 

What does this lead to? Again, by the end of season 2 we have the answers and thankfully, this time round, they're more conclusive in nature.

The first thing I loved about season 2 were the first few scenes themselves. My personal favourite is definitely the one where Aliyah is trying to throw her stoned boyfriend Vinod out of her house, and all the neighbours are standing outside and judging her. And it's honestly so relatable when she tells them to fuck off and mind their own business. Because, let's face it, literally all of us have wanted to scream that to our nosy neighbours at some point but couldn't summon up the courage to do it. (I have screamed 'Oh Bhosdiwale Chacha' at some old guy at a bar though. My sister's ex convinced me to do it along with him. Not sure it counts. Chacha probably didn't understand much cause the music was too loud.)

I also loved the tiny nuances they brought into Aliyah's character. In season 1 she was certainly a charismatic person with a no-nonsense vibe, but in season two her default behaviour seems to be that of pure sardonicism especially in all her police interrogations. Nia's acting also veers away from the melodrama as far as possible.

Now I'm going to stop beating around the bush and speak about the elephant in the room! Yup, you guessed it- Rrahul Sudhir! All I can say is I like him as Vansh and all, but as Aryan he's just so...so..so much hotter! I don't know if I can articulate the reason well enough, but there's just something about his unkempt grunge look that's insanely attractive! Also, from the character's perspective, it was beyond interesting to see Aryan's waning sense of morality in his manic bid to beat Aliyah (an arc that's a lot harder to do, than the traditional bad boy turns good one, and have people still care about the character instead of claiming that it's been ruined). And Rrahul seems to have flexed his acting muscles to the best of his abilities and definitely delivers a memorable performance as Aryan.

And now for Aliyah and Aryan's chemistry. In simple words, it's BOMB AS FUCK. Honestly, I kind of shipped them from the moment they met in the first episode of season 1 during Aliyah's first interrogation at her home, despite the fact that Ranbeer was clearly the lead opposite her in back then.

The dialogues (or dialouges as the editor apparently likes to put in the opening credits. Like, what even? Spellings ki maa-behen bro...) go something like this-

Aliyah: Can I get you anything? Tea or coffee?

Aryan (smirks): Just the truth.

Aliyah (smirks back): I like you.

Meanwhile me (munching horrible cracker biscuits, and feeling like a parrot, cause there's nothing else to eat at night in my godforsaken kitchen) to myself: I'M SO SHIPPING THIS!

And thankfully, the shipping got an 'anjaam' (oh damn, now I have Madhuri Dixit dancing to 'Channe ke Khet' in my head) in season 2, or else I would've been super-duper mad.

Since 'opposites attract' relationships are getting a bit cliche, it's refresh
ing to see two similar, convoluted (you see what I did there? Casually sneaked a word from the title in. Yeah, the makers are way more in your face about it) individuals revel in finding companionship in each other. It's kind of amusing when they first have sex as well, because it's clear that both of them are alphas and each one is trying to tame the other. Damn, the smirk on his face when she caresses his face with a knife (*cracker munching intensifies*).

Their relationship also has some tender moments that truly do tug at your heartstrings. I especially like the scene where Aryan comes to comfort Aliyah after he discovers one of the bitter truths of her past (I'm trying my best to not spoil stuff here). There's no pity for her in his eyes. He knows she isn't weak, but she is alone. It's so invigorating to see a guy who doesn't see himself as a knight in shining armour, that it nearly made me teary eyed.

And this exchange between them-

Aryan: Kabhie, Kabhie hamare dushman, humein hamare doston se zyaada better samajh lete hai Aliyah...

Aliyah: Toh aaj yeh dushman dost ban ke kyun aaya hai?

Aryan: Isliye ki woh jaanta hai, ki aaj raat yeh ladki akele so nahi payegi...beetein kal ke sapnein use jagaah ke rakhenge...isliye woh khud aaya hai...use gale se laga ke sulane ke liye, khud jaagkar uski neend par pehra dene ke liye, bure sapnon ko door rakhne ke liye, agar ijazat ho toh...

Damn, I know it's corny but they sell it perfectly! (*munching stops momentarily, while I gather tissues and also a bucket* Damn it , how many crackers did I even hork down?)

Check this frame out, you might feel the same-

This show also confirms something else I've been keen to find the answer to ever since Kasautii started in 2018. Try as I would, I just couldn't appreciate Erica's chemistry with Parth as much as his with Niti's. At some point, I thought I was biased because I'm technically a KYY fan, but here it seems to be the opposite. All my followers who read my announcements know I love #Riansh to bits. But I really like Rrahul and Nia's pair too, and that's mainly because I'm satisfied (not completely, but then again I'm very difficult to satiate entirely) with the writing of their characters!

It's nice to see that most of the comments of the 'Ishq mein Marjawaan 2' fans are quite positive as well. The ones like 'No, Rrahul and looks best with Helly' are very few and far between. But there still are some. It's like that one person who never agrees to a mass bunk in college.*sighs*

I will say this though, both the backstories of the two protagonists seem to have a lot of loopholes attached to them and aren't entirely convincing. The ambiguity when it comes to the chronology of these turning points in their lives derails their effectiveness. Especially, when we find out about Aryan's loss and how he was using his fixation on Aliyah as more of a coping mechanism.

The only new addition to the main cast in season 2 is Dilnaz Irani's character Aru, and though she's possibly more convincing as a lady cop than Tia Bajpai was as Disha, I have to say, she's just plain annoying. She's like Isaac in 'Sex Education', man. A severe party pooper.

Also, we have a blast from the past- Veebha Anand as Rashi. She honestly doesn't have much to do apart from mope about her brother's death. And that seems to be quite in our black and white Madhubala's comfort zone.

My reaction to her crying-

Speaking about the music for the show, the songs aren't particularly amazing (honestly, the songs in web shows nowadays are so much better than the Bollywood remixes in movies), but they do capture the mood and tenor of the show very well. And they do end up growing on you once you know the context behind them, as it happens with most songs).

Here's my favourite song from season 1-

And of course, season 2-

Anyway, coming back to my assumption about the show being sleazy-it's not. All the people accusing the makers of creating soft porn in the youtube comments section clearly haven't watched prestige HBO dramas. There are barely six sex scenes (wow, that became quite the consonance based alliteration) spanning twenty-four episodes. Did they all have to be there? No. No, they didn't. But I mean, they put these unnecessary explicit scenes in almost all shows nowadays (even acclaimed ones like Pataal Lok). The same-sex sex scene (wow again, another alliteration. Really on a roll here guys...) in season 1 is again integral to the plot, so I can't really accuse the makers of being overindulgent here, either.

Aryan's constipated reaction when he finds out that Aliyah apparently swings both ways though-

LOL, I think he was whipped here already.

All in all, though season 2 offers less in terms of plot, it makes up for it in terms of character exploration (something, season 1 was mostly devoid of). And in doing so, it does end up answering some of the more thoughtful questions that the season poses. Stuff like-Can the lines between obsession, infatuation and love be blurry? Is it possible for love to blossom between two individuals whose inherent ability to trust has been all but destroyed?

I personally connected more to the latter. I might be a plot driven writer, but off late I prefer character-driven stories unfolding on screen (hence, my recent love affair with 'Euphoria' and 'Normal People').

Damn, I'm one of those people that watches everything before it becomes popular (cue 'Money Heist' when it was 'La Casa de Papel' in early 2017, when practically no one knew about it and Bella Ciao was just an Italian Resistance song), and resents it when it does. But with 'Twisted' I've literally become part of the 'Here for Vansh Raisinghania!' gang in the Youtube comments section. I feel guilty for not checking it out earlier. I missed out on a decent show!

I'm off to watch 'Fittrat' to see what Jeevika's up to now. It's clear that Maanvi's outgrown her little girl salwar suits.

~*~

Fuck, that was a really long one. I think it rivals the size of some of my story parts.

Well, I know I share my favourite edits of every show I watch in these reviews, but I couldn't find that many on Twisted. But here's one that I did (Don't watch it if you don't want spoilers cause this edit's full of 'em)-

Seriously though, I don't know why more editors aren't vidding this?

Yoo-hoo editors, you listening?

Also IDK what the ship names for these characters are. Anyone wanna come up with some?

Either way, bye for now.