Aarya 2 Web Review: Slow narrative with a beautiful end

A still from Aarya 2

Aarya 2
On: Disney+ Hotstar
Dir: Ram Madhvani, Vinod Rawat, Kapil Sharma
Cast: Sushmita Sen, Sikandar Kher, Vikas Kumar
Rating: 3.5/5

At one point during the second episode of Aarya, I almost gave up on it. The fact that its high-on-anxiety narrative moving at a tedious pace was making it hard to sit through. However, I stayed for the wonderful Sushmita Sen, who lures you in with a flawless performance. She doesn't miss a single beat making it such a delight to watch her on screen. At the end of episode 8, I was glad I did because the explosive finale of the season is easily the best I have seen in a desi OTT series.

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Designed as a slow burn, the only thing creator-director Ram Madhvani asks of you is your patience. The pay off is quite sumptuous as Aarya's character evolves from a wounded tigress on the run to a woman who takes charge of her destiny and life. The realization that she doesn't wish to escape anymore, comes early on. How far can you escape, after all - from the loss of your soulmate while your children replay his videos everyday, from the law keepers who hold the reins of her life while she plays puppets at their orders, from the mafia who are bloodthirsty for her and the Russians who won't let go off their drugs worth 300 crores…

What Madhvani does interestingly, is weave the stories of her children into the narrative. Aarya's eldest Veer is now her mother's support system. Together they hold through the vulnerable Arundhati, who is battling the demons of her past. Her suicide attempts take a toll on them emotionally. The impressionable Aditya is still adjusting but he has his eyes on guns and wants to avenge his father's death. It is slightly triggering to watch a 9 year old ask his bodyguard to teach him how to use a gun. Aarya has to be a mother first, and she must keep her family safe. But she also must tackle old-allies-turned-foes like ACP Khan (played beautifully by Vikas Kumar) who are waiting for her to slip, her family members who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy and rivals like Shekhawat, Russians et. al. There's a lot that writers Anu Singh Choudhary and Sanyukta Chawla pack in. Some subplots tremble while others layer the story beautifully. There are fleeting moments of unlikely friendships. Some heartbreaks that shake you to your very core. Some dark old secrets that make this thriller even more twisted. And some passing moments like Aarya bonding with a fellow parent from school over a bowl of khichdi, that give us a glimpse of how simple her life could've been.

With every episode, Sushmita's Aarya comes into her own as she weathers relentless storms. Desperate to protect her children, she metamorphoses into a Devi. Or as Sikander Kher's Daulat says, "Mujhe chinta hai unki jisne iss sherni ko cheda." Claws out, Aarya goes to battle as the narrative inches towards a soaring end. As Godfather fans, we all thought we knew what Dons are like. Aarya gives us an alternate tale of what happens when a woman rules the show.