Rajat Kapoor,Ahana Kumra.Ayush Mehra shine in engrossing series taking incisive look on Bollywood



By Rajesh Ahuja


In one of the scenes of the web series Call My Agent Bollywood, veteran casting agent Monty (Rajat Kapoor) is heard telling a girl who has come to the city of dreams in Mumbai to establish a niche for herself in the film world,'in this industry, everything is make believe. Barely one per cent of those seeking a place under the Bollywood Sun make it to the top while the rest of the 99 per cent keep going around in circles trying to make a place for themselves before giving up their quest for success. Even the one percent who make it try to hold on to the success by churning out fake stories in the media of their popularity among the masses.'

The statement by the casting agent sums up the subject of the web series, streaming on Netflix, that provides viewers an insight into the World of Bollywood where success of a star is dependent as much on the hype around him or her as on their acting talent and potential. The series,  directed by Shaad Ali,  shows how  these agents work assiduously day and night to build up the hype and maintain the buzz around a star to ensure that they continue to stay relevant in the industry.



Call My Agent Bollywood is an engrossing series that takes an incisive look in goings on in Bollywood 





Call My Agent Bollywood is the story of four Mumbai talent agents - Mehershad (Ayush Mehra), Amal (Ahana kumra) Monty (Rajat Kapoor) and Teresa (Soni Razdan) struggling to save their sinking company Art after sudden death of their founder.

From managing fragile star egos and real human emotions to pulling off casting coups, the action never stops for these four  Mumbai talent agents as they struggle to save their company from closure after the sudden death of their founder Soumya Jeet.

The series shows how these four agents , whose business is invariably linked to the success of the stars, indulge in manipulation , cajoling, coaxing and pampering the ego of the stars and the film producers in a bid to hold on to their business.

The screenplay of the web series is engrossing and keeps you glued to the proceedings.

Through comical scenes, the director Shaad Ali tries to  bring out the ephemeral nature of working of the film industry. Watching the episodes of the series,  where extraneous factors like an actor 's age and physical appearance seem to matter more for makers in Hollywood and Bollywood,  rather than their talent,   makes one wonder how much of what is shown in the web series is closer to reality.

Infact, In some scenes,  the portrayal of the industry borders on caricaturish.

The director Shaad Ali,  however,  succeeds in effectively bringing out the fleeting nature of the glamour world in tinsel town where an actor's relevance is dependent on his age and Novelty factor.

Dialogues of the Web series are witty and bring out the frivolity of the process of the casting for films and web series in tinsel town of Mumbai.

The series boasts of brilliant performances.

Rajat Kapoor comes up with a virtuoso act as Monty, the veteran agent of the ART agency who is an expert in art' of manipulation to usurp clients of other agents..

Ahana Kumra and Ayush Mehra are impressive as casting agents Amal and Meher who will not stop at anything to retain their clients.

The reference to Amal being a lesbian,  however,  seems  an unnecessary diversion from the main plot. Ayush Mehra comes across as cute in many scenes,  eg, the one where he tells Nancy (Merenla Imsong) , an employee his agency an aspiring actor that he wants to be her agent.

Soni Razdan is lacklustre as veteran agent Teresa.

Actors Jackie Shroff,  Lara Dutta,  Lillete Dubey,  Ila Arun,  Sarika, Akshara Haasan, Farah Khan, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal and Tigmanshu Dhulia impress in their special appearance as heir real selves.

  In short Call My Agent Bollywood is a  engrossing series that takes  an incisive look in goings on in the world of entertainment in Mumbai.

My rating;3/5

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