Envoy Score: 3.5
“Out Of Love” is a family drama focussing on a seemingly happily married couple. Things take a drastic turn due to an extramarital relationship which creates havoc in their lives.
The series opens with a steamy sequence featuring Akarsh Kapoor (Purab Kohli) and Dr Meera Kapoor (Rasika Dugal) who seem to be enjoying marital bliss. Immediately, the focus shifts to Meera finding lipstick among Akarsh’s clothes and subsequently gets her hands on a strand of hair (that of a woman) from his shawl.
The seed of suspicion is sown as Akarsh gives an evasive reply on being questioned by his wife about her findings. As a result, the alleged happy world of Meera starts crumbling down.
How Dr Meera Kapoor copes up with this stark reality and how she chases her husband to prove his guilt forms the crux of the story. On course to find the truth, Meera has to win over their kid Abhishek (Ricky Patel) and Mother in Law Kamal (Soni Razdan).
Abhishek is too smart for his own good and is able to understand the intricacies of the relationship between his parents resulting in some interesting confrontations at a later stage. In addition, Kamal, who knows very well about her son’s wayward tendencies, hides this before eventually opening up to Meera.
There are some other important characters, like that of Dr Pradhan (Aanjjan Srivastav), who may not have contributed to the flow of story directly but establishes the humane side of Dr Meera Kapoor.
The director duo comprising of well-reputed Tigamanshu Dhulia (Co-director of another Hotstar special “Criminal Justice”) and Aijaz Khan deserve all the credit for weaving such an engrossing drama.
Although it has been inspired by BBC drama Doctor Foster, they did a brilliant job in their characterization as well as presenting the script with a straightforward approach. Kudos to writers Suyash Trivedi and Abhiruchi Chand.
However, it’s inevitably Rasika Dugal who carries the entire 5 episode series on her shoulders. She is remarkable in every frame. Be it love, anger, confusion, distress, grief or heartbreak, she conveys it with passion and efficiency.
Even her body language, dialogue delivery and the brisk walk she adopts when she gets upset or angry is simply outstanding.
Purab Kohli, on the other hand, as Akarsh Kapoor, plays the complex role of a torn husband who is unable to join the loose ends to save his marriage has performed well within the framework.
Harendra Singh’s cinematography is amazing as he captures the picturesque green tea gardens of Coonoor to perfection.
This short series is a welcome change from routine crime, thriller and horror genre. Totally a satisfactory viewing experience.
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