City of Dreams (TV series)
City of Dreams is an Indian series by Nagesh Kukunoor which is available on Hotstar on its new label Hotstar Specials from 3 May 2019.[1] It is directed by Nagesh Kukunoor starring Atul Kulkarni, Priya Bapat, Sachin Pilgaonkar, Eijaz Khan and Siddharth Chandekar.[2]
| City of Dreams | |
|---|---|
 Poster | |
| Genre | Mystery Crime |
| Created by |
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| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Theme music composer | Tapas Relia |
| Composer | Tapas Relia |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original languages | Hindi (Original) Telugu (Dubbed) |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Production location | India |
| Running time | 38 - 54 minutes |
| Production companies | Applause Entertainment Kukunoor Movies |
| Distributor | Star India |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hotstar |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Original release | 3 May 2019 |
| External links | |
| [watch here Website] | |
Conception
The idea for the show came from Kukunoor's team member, Rohit Banawlikar. Banawlikar and Kukunoor co-wrote an anthology, intended to be turned into a feature film. But as digital platforms grew in India, Kukunoor felt that there was a scope for a series.[3]
Plot
Multiple lives intersect after an assassination attempt on Mumbai's most polarising political figure. A single stone thrown in a seemingly placid lake sets off a series of ripples that affect everyone and hurt many. City of Dreams is the story of the feud within the Gaikwad family, which erupts after an assassination attempt on a polarizing political figure. Blurring the lines between moral and immoral, in a struggle for power forms the core of this transfixing narrative.
Cast
- Priya Bapat as Poornima Rao Gaikwad
- Siddharth Chandekar as Ashish Rao Gaikwad
- Eijaz Khan as SI Wasim Khan
- Atul Kulkarni as Amey Rao Gaikwad
- Vishwas Kini
- Sandeep Kulkarni as Purushottam
- Uday Tikekar as Jiten Kaka
- Amrita Bagchi
- Sachin Pilgaonkar
- Flora Saini as Mystery Women
- Geetika Tyagi
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Shoot-out" |
| 3 May 2019 | ||
| An assassination attempt on Mumbai’s political stalwart Ameya Rao Gaikwad stuns the city. As the family deals with the shock, his son Ashish takes centre stage, while 'Encounter' Wasim gets on the case, unofficially. | |||||
| 2 | "The Response" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| With his personal life in a mess, Wasim gets a lead on one of the shooters. Meanwhile, Ashish spins out of control and a concerned Jiten asks Poornima to take charge. | |||||
| 3 | "The Rift" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Poornima tries to persuade Ashish to consult her before making any decision, which doesn't go down well with him. Meanwhile, Wasim keeps the hunt on in his own inimitable style. | |||||
| 4 | "The Hunt" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| When Ashish crosses the line, Poornima confronts him. On the other hand, Wasim tries to change the game with the trump card in his hand. | |||||
| 5 | "The Decision" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Ashish makes a shocking confession to Shireen. Later, a furious Poornima opens up to Lipakshi. | |||||
| 6 | "The Black Book" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Poornima turns the table on Ashish's rally. Elsewhere, Wasim gets closer to the assassin, while Jiten hides the black book. | |||||
| 7 | "The Mastermind" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Consumed by power and politics, Poornima's relationship with Kaushik begins to crumble. Wasim meets an old informant and finds a crucial lead. | |||||
| 8 | "The Awakening" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Scrambling for political support, Poornima tries hard to find her normal, while CM Jagdish gets into an unexpected alliance. | |||||
| 9 | "The Betrayal" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| Taking advantage of the situation, Jagdish makes his way to Delhi while Poornima learns the truth about the attack and the perpetrators. | |||||
| 10 | "The Victory" |
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| 3 May 2019 | |
| In the lead up to the grand party meeting, matters come to a head. Someone will win and someone will lose. | |||||
Promotion
On 21 April 2019, Hotstar Specials released the teaser for City of Dreams on YouTube and other social media platforms announcing the release of the series on 3 May 2019.[5] The show will consist of 10 episodes.[6]
Reception
Upon release, Gautaman Bhaskaran of News18 rated the show a 2 out of 5 and said "[Kukunoor] gives away too many clues, and viewers can easily guess how the series will pan out".[7] Udita Jhunjhunwala of Firstpost rated it two stars and was of the opinion that the show was longer than necessary and the show missed a tight script and several scenes were dispensable.[8] Soumya Rao from Scroll.in reviewed that "the protagonists were iterations of characters that have been seen often on the screen".[9]
References
- "Hotstar ties up with Applause Entertainment for first set of originals". live Mint. 4 March 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- "Nagesh Kukunoor to direct web series 'Mayanagari #CityOfDreams'". Scroll.in. 11 May 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
- Dundoo, Sangeetha Devi (3 May 2019). "Nagesh Kukunoor discusses his first web series 'City of Dreams'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- Jain, Arushi (30 March 2019). "Nagesh Kukunoor about City of Dreams". Indian Express. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
- "Mayanagari-City of Dreams teaser".
- Iyer, Sanyukta (8 February 2018). "Nagesh Kukunoor gets into politics with City of Dreams". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- "City of Dreams Review: Nagesh Kukunoor's Web Series Refrains from Diving Deep". News18. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- "City Of Dreams review: Nagesh Kukunoor's interminable Hotstar series is riddled with gangster genre cliches- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- Rao, Soumya. "'City of Dreams' review: Blood spills as blood ties are tested". Scroll.in. Retrieved 12 May 2019.