“Hostages” Review: Shining Talent Of Ronit Roy And Tisca Chopra Makes It Hard To Resist

Tinged with flavours of suspense, thriller and crime, Hotstar Specials’ latest outing Hostages is out now. It is the Hindi adaptation of the eponymous Israeli show which is hugely popular across the globe. Is the web-series as exciting as its impressive cast that includes the likes of Ronit Roy, Tisca Chopra, Aashim Gulati, Parvin Dabas and Dalip Tahil? Let’s find out.

Directed by famed filmmaker Sudhir Mishra, Hostages revolves around a senior police officer and a highly reputed lady doctor whose family is taken hostage. The doctor has a tough call to make - to kill an innocent man or to save her family from the clutches of men who have held them hostage. In the first episode of the series, Sudhir invests more time in establishing his characters and the premise, and that works wonder.

SP Prithvi Singh (Ronit Roy) is on the last day of his duty. He has to catch a terror-accused without shedding a single drop of blood. Since he is just a few hours away from his retirement, he does not want to create any ruckus and tackles the situation as peacefully as possible. He nabs the terror-accused innocuously and sends him with his team.

We are then introduced to Dr Mira Anand (Tisca Chopra). She is one of the most reputed doctors in the city and has just been given the responsibility to operate on the Chief Minister (Dalip Tahil). Her husband (Parvin Dabas) is a school principal and their teenage son studies in the same school. He takes advantage of his father’s position and leaks papers before exams. Her young daughter is going through personal trauma. She has been trying to tell her mother that she is pregnant out of wedlock, but all her efforts end in vain

In the evening, Mira Anand reaches home after a hectic day and the entire family is set to sit together for dinner. However, a group of masked people enter the house and attack them and hold them hostage. The intruders have only one demand from Dr Mira - to kill the Chief Minister.

While watching Hostages, you can easily make out that the man who orders Mira to take the life of the Chief Minister is none but SP Prithvi Singh. But why is he doing so? It was the last day of his duty, which he wanted to end peacefully. Then what led him to hold the entire family of Dr Mira hostage. There are legions of questions that swirl around your head as you finish watching the first episode of Hostages.

Sudhir Mishra deserves praises for creating a twisty plot, where the atmosphere is tense and the stakes really high. You will keep biting your nails to know how things are going to unfold further. The director ends the first episode on such an intriguing hook that you cannot resist yourself from coming back to watch the next episodes of the 10-episode series.

Talking about the highlight of the series, it has to be nothing but first-class performances from the cast. Ronit Roy and Tisca Chopra are backbones of Hostages. They deliver performances that are credible and bring gravitas to the series.

After ruling Indian television for years, Ronit Roy seems all set to make a mark in the web-space also. His ALTBalaji series Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain is already a hit among the audience. And now, he has delivered yet another power-packed performance in Hostages. What makes his character interesting here is the fact that it seems to be grey, if the first episode is anything to go by.

Talking about Tisca Chopra, she makes a praise-worthy digital debut with Hostages. Her performance is real. As a doctor who is on the cusp of making the biggest decision of her life, she nails her performance. The first episode focuses more on Roy and Chopra’s characters. What other characters bring to the table, we see in the next episodes.

Taking a look at some minus points of the series, I feel the first episode is a bit rushed. People who are not used to watching web-shows may require more time to grasp it properly. Production value of Hostages could have been a little better. More often than not it gives you the feeling of watching a television show and that is a bit disappointing at times.

Final Verdict

Hostages is not as novel as it pretends to be. However, there is enough thrill and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat and anticipate what is going to happen next. If you have not watched the original Israeli series, watch Hostages right now. It’s binge-worthy stuff. In case you have already seen the original series, you can find something better. I am going with 3 stars.

Series Details

Banner: Applause Entertainment
Director: Sudhir Mishra
Starring: Ronit Roy, Tisca Chopra, Aashim Gulati, Parvin Dabas, Dalip Tahil, etc.
Network: Hotstar Specials
Genre: Crime Thriller
Premiere Date: 31^st May
STARBIZ Stars: 3/5

>>> Read more: Hostages 2 Download (Full Episodes) 2020 | More Gripping Than Season 1