Glory, Netflix’s latest original, is a bold attempt and a safe pursuit at once. It’s bold in a way where the story universe straddles multiple genres at once. Created by Karan Anshuman and Karmanya Ahuja, the series tells the story of a dysfunctional family that is compelled to come back together under grim circumstances. Dev (Divyenndu) and Ravi (Pulkit Samrat) return to Shaktigarh to protect their little sister Gudiya (Jannat Zubair) who was attacked by a group of anonymous men under mysterious circumstances. Their father Raghubir Singh (Suvinder Vicky) remains bull-headed in his aspirations for an Olympic victory, single-minded in his efforts to train one such victorious boxer. The genre-blending is not done in a superficial manner; there is a genuine interest in its key themes — dysfunctional relationships, a world driven by its talent and ambitions, and the crime mystery at the core of it. And yet, the series is safe in a way where, when push comes to shove, it prioritises thrills over sentiment.
Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Divyenndu, Suvinder Vicky, Jannat Zubair, Kashmira Pardeshi, Zakir Hussain, Ashutosh Rana
Director duo: Karan Anshuman, Kanishk Varma
Streaming on: Netflix
Credit where it’s due, the series keeps the ball rolling as far as the central mystery is concerned. Beginning with the episode 1 twist (which I never saw coming), the show finds ways to keep Dev and Ravi’s journey interesting as they dig deeper into the world around them, hunting for the culprit. The twists arrive on regular basis. Even though many puzzle pieces don’t fit in easily — Why Bharti (Kashmira Pardeshi) decides to pursue a particular friendship remains befuddling and unresolved, for instance — Glory always has an unexpected card up its sleeve. Even as some of the arcs get predictable (especially the relationship that grows between Joyna and Dev), the show remains engaging for large parts of its runtime.
However, with this confidence of having a plot riding on twists and thrills, also comes the desperation of holding attention of the social media generation. Glory goes for a freewheeling visual style that lends plenty of vigour in some portions and looks gimmicky in others. Some of the action sequences are impressively kinetic in their choreography. The makers also show a lot of zest for visuals of gory violence, treating it as spectacle.
And amidst it all, it’s the writing that falters in laying groundwork for the key relationship dynamics. What keeps Dev and Ravi going amid all the dangers is their relationship with Gudiya (Jannat Zubair), which never gets enough screen-time or pathos. When Ravi and Dev have a rift at one point and part ways, it doesn’t hit you hard because the show never dedicated much time to their relationship, underlining their differences or the moments where they bond. There are so many good emotional punches on paper that never land, like Dev and Raghubir possibly reconciling in the most unlikely of circumstances. What makes the club so important to Raghubir, that he is willing to sacrifice more than his blood and sweat for it? We also never get a palpable sense of the significance of boxing in Ravi’s life, and why his renewed pursuit means more to him than what appears on the surface. In any other generic thriller, it wouldn’t have mattered — but the narrative here depends on these emotional motivations. In other words, Glory works best as a surface-level thriller.
It’s a well-rounded ensemble, even if not all lead cast members get a moment to shine. Pulkit Samrat brings earnestness to many sequences, and Kashmira Pardeshi as Bharti remains the real surprise act. Suvinder Vicky is criminally underutilised (except for one sequence towards the end). Meanwhile, it’s Divyenndu’s performance as Dev that remains the emotional core of this story. As Dev finds himself being pulled in multiple directions even as he copes with his primal desire for revenge and humane tendencies to undo his past traumas, Divyenndu delivers a stellar performance.
The show is also so enamoured with its positioning as a action-heavy spectacle and the intent of creating a colorful universe (Sikander Kher’s Kookie Yadav goes overboard), that it forgets to pay attention to some of its more crucial themes. We are told that Shaktigarh is the Cuba of India, and yet we rarely get an insight into the psyche of these burly men who rule the land with a steely fist. The town is alive as an appealing landscape, but the boxing element remains decorative for most parts, taking a beating (no pun intended) at the altar of the more exciting ideas. There are several chunks where it even feels like a deterrent in an otherwise neatly-done thriller.
It’s only in the season finale, which makes space for some unsettling ideas, that the backdrop of boxing and chase for Olympic glory begin to make sense. As the writers deliver one knock-out punch after another, you truly sense the potential of this grim thriller. Dreams and ambitions give your life purpose and meaning — but at what cost must they arrive?
In a parallel universe, we are watching a series that focuses entirely on this theme, exploring a family that has obsessively harboured a dream since decades, navigating their own sanity around it - and doesn’t feel the need to chase thrills or visual splendour.
While this is not that show, Glory is an interesting experiment in its own right and succeeds for most parts.
