After delivering a rip-roaring political thriller with an edge-of-a-seat experience, Nagesh Kukunoor amps up the drama with the second installment of ‘City of Dreams’.
If the war zones were revealed in the first season, then in the second season, the political drama revolving around the Gaekwad family widened the power struggle. Along with some prominent faces from season one, this installment brings together many new players in the game of politics.
Among the new characters, Arvind played by talented young actor Ankur Rathee and his onscreen finance Tanya played by actress Shriyam Bhagnani, have come out to be most promising. This onscreen fresh pairing delivered a gripping performance and evinced the adage that you should never judge a book by its cover.
Ankur Rathee who was last seen in critically acclaimed movies like Taish, Undekhi, and Thappad amazed audiences with his unconventional role in ‘City of dreams’ alongside Shriyam Bhagnani who is known for her works in Baaghi 2 and Battu Gul Meter Chalu.
In the series, Arvid Rathee plays the role of an arrogant heir to a construction company named ‘Mehka Infra’ while Shriyam plays the role of a daughter of a powerful businessman who is shown as a gender activist later in the series.
The duo’s onscreen presence and chemistry garnered much appreciation.
Ankur Rathee while sharing about his co-star Shriyam Bhagnani, said, “Honesty and humility are so crucial for any actor, and Shriyam was beaming with both in our scenes together. There is a gentle earnestness in her eyes, one that occasionally even diminished my need for a vivid imagination to get into character. A simple look into her innocent gaze would transport me into the scene and evoke the required vulnerability. It’s a rarity and blessing to find that in a co-actor.
Further praising director Nagesh Kukunoor, he said, “As for Nagesh Sir, I have yet to discover a more symbiotic relationship with a director. There were many instances where I would finish a take and suddenly be struck with an idea. No sooner I would notice Nagesh sir walking over who had already picked up on my creative impulse. A mind-reader! I would begin explaining an idea and he would finish it. Sometimes he would utter only a few words and I knew immediately his train of thought. Few words. He didn’t want to intellectualize the emotional space with too much conversation. He’d give just enough direction so that I could run with the idea and make it my own. I felt like clay.”
Actress Shriyam also sings praises for co-star Arvind. Sharing her experience working with him, she said, “Ankur is MAD! I don’t think there is ever a dull moment when you’re around this man. He has a switch that goes off once the director says cut and suddenly, he is a child on set. He truly brings life on set – he will be singing, dancing, making conversations with people, or even working secretly in his van for his other projects. He is very supportive and will stay behind for the reaction scenes even when he isn’t supposed to and that’s what makes him such an amazing co-actor and even after doing so many projects, he comes on set as fresh as ever with so much curiosity!”
Furthering speaking about her director, she added, “Working with Nagesh sir has to be one of the best professional experiences I’ve had so far. There is so much to learn and absorb on his sets – from an amazing crew to the set design, to the script, everything reads out a passion for filmmaking. He has this undying focus and clarity of thought while working which I find extremely inspiring. He knows exactly what he wants from a scene, making the actor’s job very easy. People call directors the captain of the ship, and he truly was in every sense, the best captain one could start on this journey with.”
This Hotstar special brings together a brilliant star cast of names like Atul Kulkarni and Priya Bapat who return as father-daughter duo Ameya Rao Gaikwad and Poornima Gaikwad. The show also features actors Eijaz Khan, Sachin Pilgaonkar, and Sushant Singh.
Undoubtedly, ‘City of Dreams’ season 2 has a promising plot with a stellar star cast. The series is streaming live on Disney+Hotstar. It continues to receive great feedback from the audiences and is currently ruling the over-the-top platforms.
