Breathe - Web series preview

Breathe
U/A: Drama/ thriller
Director: Mayank Sharma
Cast: R Madhavan, Amit Sadh, Sapna Pabbi
Rating:

Here's something we all know - death is inevitable. Yet, watching someone struggle to pull in their last few breaths can leave anyone scarred. Five seconds into Amazon Prime's original series', Breathe, starring R Madhavan and Amit Sadh, and it is evident that viewers are in for a morbid ride. Here's a tip - don't forget to keep breathing while watching the series.

Danny Mascarenhas's (Madhavan) six-year-old son Josh (Atharva Vishwakarma) suffers from cystic fibrosis and is fourth on the waiting list of organ transplant recipients. However, with only five to six months to live, it is only luck that can favour the child. But Danny isn't willing to leave things to destiny. He resorts to killing donors to get his son a fighting chance of survival. Meanwhile, the alcoholic cop, Kabir Sawant (Amit Sadh), is guilt-ridden over losing his daughter in an accident, a loss that eventually hampers his relationship with wife Ria Ganguly (Sapna Pabbi).

Of the first four episodes that we caught, it's evident that Madhavan has successfully rid himself of the chocolate boy image that stuck with him since his debut in Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein. Even in his wrongdoings, Madhavan makes his desperation justifiable. Watching his struggle to take a life and transform into a pro is eerie. Sadh, yet again, puts on display his superlative talent, which has been ignored by the industry for a while. His ability to showcase his loss, struggle with alcohol, failed romance, and the desire to hold his daughter one more time, without any dialogues, is commendable. Sapna Pabbi, Neena Kulkarni, Vishwakarma and Hrishikesh Josh put their best foot forward.

Director Mayank Sharma's ability to craft Danny's masterplan with such nitty-gritty makes him among those whose future works we will watch out for. While superlative performances back the great content that Breathe offers, something appears to go amiss on the editing table. Episodes kick-off and culminate on gripping notes, but the tempo drastically drops in between. The edge-of-the-seat thriller also makes you yawn, which is probably its only flaw.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here.

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go