Despite multiple threads of the narrative, this drama based around flood-ravaged Mumbai pans out like a thriller that has you on tenterhooks for most of its runtime

Nonika Singh

Disaster dramas are not easy to capture on screen. After creating a compelling account of the dastardly 26/11 Mumbai attacks, noted filmmaker Nikkhil Advani unfurls the second season of Mumbai Diaries. This time over he brings to us the devastating Mumbai floods, which brought the city to a grinding halt. But more importantly, he also shines a light on humanity.

Essentially a medical drama, the eight-episode series, intercutting personal and professional lives of medical professionals, takes off more or less from where it left. Nine months have passed since the 2008 terror incident. Bombay General Hospital’s star doctor Kaushik Oberoi (Mohit Raina) has been hauled up for medical negligence. The wife of late ATS officer has charged him for murder and the TRP-obsessed media has already pronounced him guilty.

If a storm is brewing in his professional life, yet another is hovering over the cityscape. Monsoon is an integral part of Mumbai, but in July 2005 (here the timeline has been moved forward to gel with the first season) torrential rains led to the loss of many lives. Advani recreates the bedlam of flood-ravaged Mumbai, shuffles a few dates and focuses upon how the first line of responders, mainly medical staff, acted in the times of crisis.

Though the epicentre of most action is the hospital, Advani opens multiple fronts. There are far too many tracks and issues at hand, which range from child abuse to domestic violence to LGBTQ concerns. Also, in the thick of things is ‘exclusive’ hungry television anchor Mansi (Shreya Dhanwanthary), literally baying for Oberoi’s blood. That she will revise her opinion is fairly predictable, yet her change of heart does not stand out like a sore thumb. Besides, the personal lives of Oberoi and director of social services, Chitra Das (Konkona Sen Sharma), in turmoil, there is a nurse forced to steal drugs so that she can pay an agent for a job in Bahrain.

The drama pans out like a thriller, which has you on tenterhooks for most of its runtime. Despite multiple threads of the narrative, frenetic pace and huge ensemble cast, Advani manages to weave it all into a cohesive whole. Where he truly scores is how he is able to infuse emotional heft in his retelling of the calamitous moments. Writing, which includes medical terms, is on point.

Raina is brilliant in bringing out the anguish of his part with heartfelt emotional range. Equally impressive is Konkona Sen Sharma. As we see her navigate between her traumatic past and the turbulent present, she portrays both the vulnerability and strength of her character. Parambrata Chatterjee as Dr Saurav Chandra, the ghost from her past is exceptional too, only the final turn his character takes is a tad more monstrous than required.

As for the over-conscientious doctors, which includes Dr Sujata (Mrunmayee Deshpande) and Dr Diya (Natasha Bhardwaj), well, it’s one thing for a doctor to go beyond the line of duty to save lives, but getting obsessively involved in the personal lives of their patients seems a bit too obtuse.

Whatever may be the lags, Advani creates a moving portrait of distressing times with hope shining like a beacon. As he and his cinematographer Malay Prakash make us wade through flood-hit city and the ensuing chaos, Mumbai Diaries feels both personal and a leaf out of a city’s diary. Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, it is indeed a microcosm that paints a picture of the macro. And without saying so in words, it reminds us how the commercial capital of the country deserves better.