PremiumAarya Antim Vaar review - Sushmita Sen's brilliance as the 'hunted' lioness loses its bite
In Aarya Antim Vaar, Sushmita Sen's magnetic performance shines, but the series itself struggles to maintain its roar.
Last Updated: 01.26 PM, Feb 09, 2024
Can a hunting lioness become the hunted? The ferocious lioness Aarya Sareen (Sushmita Sen) is poised for what may be her last charge, and she is howling with anticipation. Until now, Aarya has been fighting for her family's survival, but what happens when our lioness faces insurmountable odds? Aarya Antim Vaar will feature Aarya in a brilliant display of her brilliance.
Since the pandemic began, Aarya is one of the series that has been consistently releasing new seasons and taking the story ahead. After releasing the first four episodes in 2023 of the third season, the remaining four are finally out, and we get to see the end and the new beginning at the same time. The makers have consistently shown that some unknown enemy will shoot Aarya Sareen (Sushmita Sen) since announcing the third season. It seems like that might not be the end of the story, but just a second act or so.
But as the story progresses in "Antim Vaar," it feels like we are actually waiting for that moment to happen in reality, and in the process, so many other things meet their fate. The dialogue throughout the entire series suggests that everyone is trapped in a self-destructive mode. Even though, once again, Sushmita shines in being the mother who takes up the charge in finishing off the illegal business that her family started, the story doesn't support her act throughout.
Ila Arun's portrayal of Nalini Sahiba sheds light on betrayals once again. The approach of the veteran actor-singer to the drug cartels and violence is amusing, so to speak, due to its simplistic nature as the answer to everything. When the plot points and claws lose steam, the film introduces new twists that fail to bring anything fresh to the table.
The drama just refuses to hit the edge, which makes it look exciting in any way. In the first part of the third season, it was all about Veer (Viren Vazirani), Aarya's eldest son, talking constantly about Roop (Shweta Pasricha), and now that she is dead, he just goes into that predictable mode where he finally says that his mother should have been dead instead of his dad, Tej Sareen (Chandrachur Singh). Meanwhile, Arundhati, aka Aru (Aarushi Bajaj), has also fallen for Dhruv (Bhupendra Jadawat), who is actually a police informer disguised as the protector of Aarya's family. This new angle, when it finally comes into play, takes the same path as Veer and Roop: love takes over everything, and a mother's intention and love are all for nothing.
It feels like Ram Madhvani got so stuck in the loop that even if he takes the story one step ahead, the eventuality is always two steps backward. Even the murderous rage in the characters leaves no room for shocking moments. Initially, the creators shocked us by killing off characters we grew to care about, and then they led us on a loop where the villains' faces were always changing.
Meanwhile, despite their mother's descent into a life of crime and deceit, Aarya's children are stubbornly refusing to mature. Also, the stress never gets to us, and the subplots never push us to the brink. After appearing menacing last season, the Russians now seem harmless and just a puppet without any strings attached.
Sushmita's outstanding performance as a fearless, elegant woman with guts keeps the series going. Even though her work has its share of imperfections, she stays true to herself—or at least she seems to be—by continuing to channel Aarya's essence.
On the other hand, the other characters just came and went to get Aarya to react or respond to their action, and this time the temper hits the roof even with people who are probably the enemies she is unaware of.
The gun wielder, who also brought out claws in the name of swords, takes charge but eventually gets hunted down, bringing another twist by Ram Madhvani. The series has been waiting a very long time for the plot, which is undoubtedly an intriguing moment. Apart from who does it, the rest of the gun blazing doesn't bring any shock value or excitement like it did when the series began, and you just couldn't stop binge-watching it.
Despite attempts at plot twists, the narrative feels more like a meow than a roar, leaving viewers yearning for the gripping intensity of earlier seasons. The conclusion lacks bite despite having Sushmita Sen's sharper claws out.