Shantit Kranti on SonyLIV is a Marathi hybrid of Dil Chahta Hai and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Shantit Kranti on SonyLIV offers you a car ride filled with fun and issues but one heading towards peace and enlightenment in a rather cliche format.

Show: Shantit Kranti
Director: Sarang Sathaye, Paula McGlynn
Created by: TVF in association with BhaDiPa
Written by: Abhay Mahajan, Anusha Nandakumar, Chetan Dange, Sarang Sathaye
Cinematography: Nikhil Arolkar
Edited by: Ashish Mhatre, Apurva Motiwale
Cast: Abhay Mahajan, Lalit Prabhakar, Alok Rajwade, Shikha Talsania, Suhita Thatte
Streaming on: SonyLIV

Three childhood friends, a road trip, and a bag full of issues sound like a familiar setup, no? Don't worry! This isn't Dil Chahta hai or Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara instead it's a hybrid of both in Marathi. Shantit Kranti is a story of three childhood friends who are dealing with issues in their lives and love Dil Chahta Hai. They happen to take a trip to Goa just like in the film, but they end up reaching 'Shantivan' a spiritual retreat.

The series is an ode to Dil Chahta Hai without replicating it and has its own soul. Created by BhaDiPa productions in association with TVF, the series charm lies in what TVF is known for aka its relatability. The friendship between Shreyas (Abhay Mahajan), Prasanna (Lalit Prabhakar), and Dinar (Alok Rajwade) looks realistic and fun. And the series doesn't shy away from moments plugged in where Dil Chahta Hai references are made. Throughout the series, there's a constant battle about who is who from the film. While watching this series, you might connect the dots between these three and the trio from Dil Chahta Hai.

The twist in the tale comes when they reach 'Shantivan' instead of Goa. The first two-three episodes are all about the road trip and establishing the friendship between the three but the last three episodes give you glimpses of an internal journey. This dissection helps the pace of the series, it's not too rushed nor too slow. It's as if the series is following Dil Chahta Hai in steps but mixed with the spirituality of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara as well! But Shantit Kranti doesn't bother with creating a mystery for the better or worse. The 'what's gonna happen now' is quite predictable and not at all mystery building. Nevertheless, the impact of it is still very much there because of the emotion.

The three of them learn to cope with their issues by the end which kind of gives a good resolution to the series. Though what's interesting here is while they're trying to imitate Dil Chahta Hai, it never really works out just like irl, showing us that there's a lot of difference between reel and real life. 'Shantivan' is also quite an example of how a place can become a character. It plays the role of a catalyst in the lives of these three friends by helping them get clarity. While there are some beautiful and meaningful scenes, they aren't explored to their potential depth. It feels like they've brushed past through important scenes rather than exploring them to simply make a point.

While we enjoyed the cinematography and editing, we wish the story had more depth to it given that it had that potential. We loved the idea but the execution could have explored it more. It's a pretty straightforward series with minor flashbacks and funny bits. But the story's essence lies in the bond that Abhay Mahajan, Lalit Prabhakar, and Alok Rajwade share together as well as with others! Irrespective of all this, Shantit Kranti teaches a huge value point of friendship. That no matter how great the bond of friendship might be it's still hard to know everything about each other.

A feel-good tale of friendship with funny, quirky bits and a whole lot of spirituality, this six-episode Marathi series is a light-hearted watch! Watch this for Amey Wagah's cameo in this series!

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