Divyanka Tripathi’s The Magic Of Shiri Is An Awe-Inspiring Tale Of Self Empowerment Combatting Patriarchy! – REVIEW

Disclaimer – We are not going to give out any spoilers, instead just going to provide an outline as to what you can expect from this web series.

 

Plot –  The Magic of Shiri is the story of a woman, Shiri, who aspired to be a magician ever since she was a kid. She grew up with every intention of achieving that dream but had to give up on it while navigating through the phase of life where she becomes a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother.  As per the norms of the patriarchal society, to excel in all those three roles, to fulfil those responsibilities smoothly, she had to keep the responsibility towards herself, at bay. Yes, the society has always underestimated women. Anyway, when Shiri is left all alone to face a storm, instead of taking her boat towards the nearest shore for a temporary shelter, she decides to sail through the raging storm towards the island of her dreams where she can give her children a better life and fulfil the much due responsibility towards herself that she chose to ignore all these years.

 

In other words, the series is magic all along. No, we are not referring to just the magic tricks that Shiri wows us with but, the magic she makes us feel throughout just by deciding to take charge of her life and, pursue her dream of becoming a magician that she gave up along with many other things she loved just because she fell in love with a guy and decided to build a life together with him. Ironical, isn’t it? Well, the same guy did not think twice before tearing that life apart and, leaving her alone to take care of all the responsibilities because he lacked the courage to face the unfavorable circumstances.

 

Shiri was always made to take the backseat and, when the circumstances compelled her to not just sit in the front seat of the car called life, but to drive it as well, Shiri did not shy away. She took the challenge head on and, when she was finally able to overcome that challenge, her estranged husband came back and expected her to take the backseat yet again, which she denied and, rightfully so. She was threatened in ways that the mother in her would have once again won against the woman in her but, Shiri’s determination did not let her step out of the driver’s seat. The story of Shiri’s determination and courage is what this series can be summarized as and, that’s a must watch story, in our opinion.

 

Performances – Every actor is good in their given parts but, the show stealer or rather, the “Magical Star” of the show is none other than, Divyanka Tripathi. She mesmerized us yet again with the magic of her absolutely brilliant acting skills and, we are left amazed by the fact that how easily she made us fall for Shiri. The story transitions between 80s and, 90s and, Divyanka looks absolutely gorgeous in every single frame, even when she donned the getup of a man for a stage show, she is a sight to behold for her screen presence has that impact. Divyanka has millions of expressions to offer in a minute, explains why her fans fondly address her as “Expressions Queen” and, she does not use just her mouth to deliver a dialogue but, her entire body language is at work to support the dialogue in achieving perfection. And, to state a fact, Divyanka has this incredible skill as an actor to form an emotional connection with the audience that is strong enough to stay with them long after they have finished watching the show. Every character she plays, becomes the identity of the show and that only implies, her own name is the synonym of success.

 

Actor Jaaved Jaaferi’s performance as a veteran magician Salim is noteworthy. His 

camaraderie with Divyanka Tripathi and the sweet father-daughter bond formed between Salim and Shiri, along the way is heartwarming to watch. Especially when Shiri apologizes like a kid and, Salim gives in eventually with a chuckle, will put a smile on your face.

 

Actors Namit Das, Darshan Jariwalla, Nishank Verma, Neelu Kohli and Parmeet Sethi are equally good in the roles they played. All in all, we loved the performances of each and every actor involved with the show.

 

Direction – The series is directed by Birsa Dasgupta and the director deserves appreciation for the applaudable treatment of the topics raised in the series. It’s not the first time that patriarchy was chosen as the complex the main character has to fight but, it’s how Shiri does makes this series special. 

 

Our Verdict – Even though, The Magic of Shiri’s story is set in the late 1990s but, it’s very much relevant even today. Shiri’s fight against patriarchal norms at every step of the way towards her dream is inspiring and, a must watch. If you have ever faced any patriarchal hurdle, Shiri’s story will tug at your heartstrings. Go, give it a watch and, share your views with us in the comments below.

 

The Magic of Shiri is streaming on Jio Cinema.

 

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