Looking Back at Amazon’s Inside Edge

By Avik Basak

It has been more than a month since Amazon Prime’s first ever Indian web series, Inside Edge premiered on their official On-Demand portal. It took some time but I finally caught up with the series and am ready to share my thoughts on the same with you.

When the first trailer of Inside Edge was launched, it was described to be the first of an array of Indian web series that will be produced by Amazon in collaboration with the various reputed production houses of the country. After taking a peek at the trailer and looking at the names of the production houses Amazon has roped in, I for one was really impressed and thought the initiative to be a revolutionary one.

Talking about Inside Edge, it seemed like a first of its kind web series in India from its trailer and various TV spots. Mainstream film stars, a gripping plot, three-dimensional characters and most importantly, a limited number of episodes, Inside Edge promised to bring everything that a western TV or web series usually brings to its viewers.

Primarily based on the sensitive subject of match fixing and betting, Inside Edge provides the viewers with a closer look at the ugly things that go on behind the curtains of the gentlemen’s game. It revolves around a fictional cricket team, Mumbai Mavericks that plays in the fictional Powerplay league (Inspired from the Indian Premiere League) and also focuses on issues like dressing room sex, celebrity scandals, cricket politics and racial discriminations.

The expectations were high and after watching the first season, I must say the show runner, Karan Anshuman with his creative team is mostly able to meet those expectations. Although it is far from perfect and is also deeply flawed when attention to details is concerned, the attempt is honest and results in one of the most compelling and entertaining web series ever produced in this country.

Let’s take a look at some things that went right and wrong with this series-

What Went Right

The Plot

Inside Edge comes with a gripping plot with layers that keeps you engaged till the end to see what happens. The characters are well-written and though, they sometimes become a little confusing to understand, the overall story is nicely chalked out.

The Performances

Almost all the actors of Inside Edge are brilliant in their roles, no matter how small a part they have. The newcomer Siddhant Chaturvedi is the best of the lot along with Amit Sial in his impressive negative role. Tanuj Virwani, Sarah-Jane Dias and Sanjay Suri also do well, while the lead stars, Richa Chadha, Vivek Oberoi and Angad Bedi are in good form except for a few clumsy scenes.

The Production Value

This is where Inside Edge is most impressive as it manages to achieve a high level of authenticity when showing the cricket stadiums, matches, scorecards, commentary style and other things. It is true that the likes of 24 and Yudh have shown us that Indian serials can also have good production values like their western counterparts but Inside Edge raises the bar a notch higher.

The Compact Narrative

Unlike other Indian serials, Inside Edge is not slow and sluggish. Instead, it moves at a moderate pace and wastes almost no time to get to the main issue it is addressing. Even when establishing the characters, the show does not compromise with its speed and keeps the viewers engaged.

The Title Sequence

In the very first episode, when you look at the title sequence, you know you are in for something you have not seen in an Indian series. The title sequence, which might remind you of Sherlock or True Detective, not only establishes the series but also reflects the love Indians have for cricket. It also showcases how glamour and money are affecting the game in the modern times.

What Went Wrong

Too Many English Dialogues

Those of us, who follow western TV shows, love to hear those one-liners in English and we can find quite a few of them in Inside Edge. As much as we love to hear them, too many English dialogues make Inside Edge, a show one can find hard to connect with. Though it is endorsed by an American platform, at the end of the day, it is an Indian show with Indian actors who are portraying Indian characters. It is due to this ‘forced’ infusion of English dialogues, the characters often look fake.

The Unnecessary Complications

The plot is compelling; there is no doubt about that but there are too many unnecessary twists and surprises, which make the show more complicated than it should be. It would have looked more interesting if some of these were done away with.

The Minute Detailing

Although Inside Edge impresses us with its production value, there are some minute errors in detailing which anyone who follows cricket can point out. There is one scene where the batsman refuses to wear a helmet while heading out to the crease, despite the fact that he is going to face a fast bowler (Are you kidding me??!).

Some Over-dramatic Scenes

This is the usual problem with any Indian movie or series; they try too much to infuse drama into a scene when it is clearly not needed. You can find many such instances in this Amazon web series.

The Lack of Subtlety

Subtlety is unusual when Bollywood is concerned. Over the years, we have seen many times when a good Hindi film or series is ruined due to the lack of subtlety and Inside Edge is not an exception. I mean can you really imagine a rich criminal mastermind, who has no shortage of money and resources, running an errand personally instead of turning to his minions? The answer is clear, ‘No’.

Well, this is only the first season of the series and the web series platform is relatively new in India, hence I am sure it will become more mature as time goes by and the errors will be less in numbers. So, I will recommend you to give it a watch.

So, what do you think about this Amazon web series? Do let me know in the comments section.