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Director: Vishal Furia
Cast: Neha Sharma, Shruti Seth, Purab Kohli, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Amruta Khanvilkar, Faisal Rashid, and Sushant Divgikr
Where: Streaming on Sony Liv
Rating: ***/5
In the idyllic coastal town of Vasco-Da-Gama, Goa, where the only thing more radiant than the sunshine is the veneer of serenity, lies Casa De Magnolia. This upmarket condominium is the epicenter of writer Anahata Menon’s eight-episode crime thriller, 36 Days, adapted from BBC's 35 Days. Here, lives unravel slower than a Goan siesta but with all the punch of a potent feni.
The opening scene of Benaifer Machado (Shernaz Patel) discovering the lifeless body of Farah Zaidi (Neha Sharma) in her living room shatters the glassy surface of this pristine community. With a narrative structure that would make even the most jaded mystery aficionados sit up, Menon catapults us back 36 days, meticulously peeling back the layers of Casa De Magnolia’s residents, exposing secrets spicier than the local fish curry.
The ensemble cast is a veritable buffet of quirky, flawed, and thoroughly engaging characters. There’s Benaifer and her artist husband Denzil (Kenny Desai), whose marriage, much like his canvases, seems imperfect. Their son Riyad (Faisal Rashid) is a divorced man navigating the tricky waters of single parenthood and parental expectations. The Jaykars, consisting of author Dr. Rishikesh (Purab Kohli), his wife Radhika (Shruti Seth), and their teenage offsprings, present the image of a perfect family—until you dig a little deeper.
Adding spice to the pot is Tony Walia (Chandan Roy Sanyal), an estate developer with a wife, Sia (Chahat Vig), who has an ex-lover, Tara (Sushant Divgikar), suddenly back in the picture. Vinod (Sharib Hashmi), a casino manager, and his wife Lalita (Amruta Khanvilkar), with aspirations as lofty as the local coconut trees, are thrown into disarray by her brother, Bobo (Shivam Patil), a drug dealer with a penchant for causing chaos.
The narrative’s strength lies in its relentless dedication to character development. Every interaction, from a seemingly innocuous neighbourhood chat to a tense dinner party, serves as a breadcrumb in the larger mystery. As viewers, we become armchair detectives, piecing together snippets of dialogue and cleverly framed camera shots that drip-feed us clues, keeping us hooked like a well-baited fishing line.
The pacing, initially leisurely as a Sunday morning in Goa, might test the patience of those accustomed to breakneck thrillers. Yet, this relaxed tempo allows for a deep dive into the complex web of relationships and secrets. By the time we reach the seventh episode, the tension is cranked up to eleven. The murder, simmering like a pot on the brink of boiling over, finally explodes in a gripping scene that unravels the intricate tapestry Menon has spun.
