Scoop Review: Hansal Mehta Show Is A Gripping Thriller, Karishma Tanna Delivers A Power-Packed Performance
A must-watch for journalists!
3.5 / 5
A few years ago, when I opted to study journalism I dreamt of being an investigative crime journalist but as a woman, it’s not the best world to be in. As thrilling as it may sound, the world of investigative crime journalism is a man’s world for many reasons. But that hasn’t stopped women from making their name in the field. One such woman was Asian Age’s Deputy Bureau Chief Jigna Vora. The leading crime reporter came into the limelight after she was accused of playing a part in the murder of the senior crime reporter of Mid-Day, Jyotirmoy Dey. And director Hansal Mehta decided to bring Jigna Vora’s story to us with his latest series Scoop. Starring Karishma Tanna, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Harman Baweja, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Deven Bhojani, this series has been directed by Hansal Mehta and Mrunmayee Lagoo and produced by Matchbox Shots. Scoop premiers on the OTT platform Netflix on June 2.
The Story Of Scoop
With Karishma Tanna playing the role of investigative crime journalist Jagruti Pathak, Scoop is based on Asian Age’s report Jigna Vora’s memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison. The series follows Jagruti Pathak, a crime leading crime reporter who finds herself trapped between the police, media and the Mumbai underworld after a case she was investigating lands her an interview with Chhota Rajan. Soon after, her competitor Jaideb Sen (played by Prosenjit Chatterjee) is killed in a shootout. As Jagruti tries to find out more about the case and get her front-page exclusives, she suddenly finds herself being accused of provoking Chhota Rajan to kill Sen. The story then follows Jagruti Pathak’s battle for justice to prove her innocence. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub plays the role of Imran, the Editor-in-chief who supports and empowers Jagruti throughout her career and Harman Baweja plays the role of JCP Shroff.
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Cast And Characters
Karishma Tanna as Jagruti Pathak: Karishma Tanna has delivered an award-winning impactful performance. The actress aces every single emotion that Jagruti Pathak feels, from being a single mother to making her place in a male-dominated industry to dealing with the advances made by JCP Shroff. Karishma Tanna creates the perfect blend of strength and vulnerability that her character portrays during her time behind bars and while she battles for justice in the courtroom.
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Prosenjit Chatterjee as Jaideb Sen: While Prosenjit has little screen time in the series, the actor makes his mark as senior crime reporter Jaideb Sen. The actor eases into the role as he creates the aura of superiority but maintains the humbleness of his character. He’s one actor that you want to see more of.
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Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub as Imran: The actor aces the role of the Editor-in-chief, Imran, who supports Jagruti while keeping her grounded and maintaining the ethics of journalism. We’re well aware of Ayyub’s nuanced acting skills and the actor has done brilliant work once again. It’s an absolute delight to watch him as a cool-minded editor.
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Harman Baweja as JCP Shroff: Harman plays the role of the cop who has a soft corner for Jagruti Pathak. The actor has laid down all his cards on the table and proved his mettle with his acting in this series. Harman Baweja’s JCP Shroff is a scoopful of surprise!
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Deven Bhojani adds moments of warmth in the thriller with his role as Jagruti’s uncle. Tanmay Dhanania plays the role of a jealous colleague in Jagruti’s life who is ready to pull her down all the time. Tannishtha Chatterjee, Sanat Vyas, Ira Dubey and other supporting characters have also delivered outstanding performances.
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Verdict: Hansal Mehta Cooks His Story With The Right Amount Of Drama And Thrill
Hansal Mehta has a knack for telling stories that have made headlines and the director has done it again with Scoop. The makers have created a very realistic world of journalism. From the newsroom to reporters talking to their sources to their struggle to maintain work-life balance is perfectly portrayed in this gripping drama. While Karishma Tanna brought intensity and emotions to the show with her portrayal of Jagruti Pathak, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja and other actors delivered impactful performances and ensured perfection in the show.
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The makers have also managed to portray Jagruti Pathak’s struggles as a female journalist in a man’s world as she deals with a lack of work-life balance, jealous colleagues, her contact with sources, dealing with a cop who can’t stop making advances and so much more. It’s painful to witness her journey from writing headlines to becoming headlines. To add to that, the writing is almost flawless. Every single character is written with careful deliberation and every single person has depth. The dialogues are just as good. This series is sure to give us some hard-hitting dialogues (at least the journos will love it).
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Speaking of Cinematography, neutral tones have been used throughout Scoop. From the colour of Jagruti’s clothes to the grey colour-tone used throughout, everything goes with the emotion that’s at play in the show. To add to it, the shots of Mumbai are beautifully taken to make this city of dreams look more appealing.
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Having said that, there are some things in this Hansal Mehta show that just don’t work in its favour. To begin with, the show has far too many sub-plots that are entangled with the main plot. And while the strings of some sub-plots come together in the end, the others just don’t. But what is noteworthy is that despite all the sub-plots, the show did not stray from the original theme that focuses on Jagruti Pathak’s fight to prove her innocence. The show is mostly fast-paced with many twists and turns and makes you sit on the edge of your seat, hooked to the screen throughout but it does take a while to pick up the storyline with the first few episodes showcasing the series of events that lead to Jagruti’s arrest.
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So, I’m rating this film 3.5 stars out of 5. More so because it revolves around the field of journalism and for people who do not know the field, the show can seem a little boring and tough to follow.
