Web Series on Prime Video
As the old idiom goes ‘Every cloud has a silver lining’ – in Mumbai specially there have been dark clouds, lightening & incessant rains, making life & commuting torturous and necessitating our spending entire time indoors over the last few days. The ‘silver lining’ came as we utilized the gloomy evening hours productively and watch the much talked about series – ‘The Titan Story’. Over three days we savored it’s wonderful story-telling spread over six engrossing episodes recounting the fascinating ‘Titan’ launch in 70-80s.
We were looking for an engaging & ‘feel-good’ viewing experience, devoid of mindless violence, gore, crime, serial killings, broken relationships and dark tragedies that is the favorite genre of today’s makers. Here was real life story of incredible courage, passion, resilience of human spirit told with refreshing simplicity through unadorned new faces, & old values of loyalty, compassion & humour. Showing the trails & tribulations faced in technical manufacturing aspects, marketing strategies and branding, stiff competition, resistance to a new ‘personalised’ product, all recreated for a 70-80s ‘period’ may appear documentary-like. Dramatic license is taken with charming quirks & personal equations & clever use of old film songs to aptly describe situations & lifts overall spirit of the film.
The casting of the motley core group of characters playing pivotal roles as the pioneers is perfect. Brilliant Naseer Shah plays the iconic JRD Tata with the right ‘gravitas’ and ‘wry humour’ without being pompously melodramatic when portraying India’s best known industrialist. But the show belongs to the incredible Jim Sarbh who lives the role of Xerxes Desai, the master planner, architect and visionary of the ‘Titan’ project from its inception. So effortlessly understated is his superb performance that we’d as well say he’s Bollywood’s answer to ace actor ‘Tom Hanks’ in getting under skin of the character !
Also the other supporting actors are incredibly natural and unstarry. Kaveri Seth in the role of marketing ace ‘Megha’ reminds us of the charming yester year actress ‘Swaroop Sampat’ and Joy Sengupta transforms himself nicely into a South Indian persona. This series is a must watch not only for entertainment but for those in the Corporate world or work as Marketing & HR Executives or Management trainees as it drives home many business lessons like the phrase ‘Freedom of Failure’ that is also celebrated in the film.
On the personal level the are many things that bring nostalgia specially the iconic Tata headquarters ‘Bombay House’ which was a stone’s throw from BOB in Horniman Circle in South Mumbai and a place where I spent a year as Br. Head, Mumbai Main Office.
Also we have, like millions of fellow Indians, had got attached to the ‘Titan’ ghadi since long and went for it. In fact even now, I wear a ‘Titan’ watch gifted to me by my Son !
( PS : I’ve added pictures of the above for reminiscing some great moments I had )
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