Riteish Deshmukh makes this medical drama watchable! exclaims Namrata Thakker.
Raj Kumar Gupta, who has helmed critically acclaimed films like Aamir and No One Killed Jessica, makes his OTT debut with the medical drama Pill starring Riteish Deshmukh in the lead.
Pill is neither gripping nor gives you any goosebumps through its storytelling.
It's a pretty straightforward story about a sincere doctor who combats a giant pharmaceutical company for conducting illegal drug trials and releasing the same drugs despite failing all the medical standards.
Prakash Chauhan, played by Riteish, is transferred to the Medical Authority of India where his job is to inspect pharma drug testing and approve the same.
As soon as Prakash joins his new gig, he realises something is fishy about Forever Cure Pharma's diabetic drug. He starts digging into it and opens a Pandora's box.
Along with a subordinate and a young journalist, he decides that it's time for accountability and pharma companies can't play with human lives just for profits.
But, of course, the road isn't easy because with money also comes power and politics. Brahma Gill (Pavan Malhotra), pharma tycoon, goes all out to stop Prakash.
He's the quintessential villain who preys on people's vulnerability because he can. The only thing that matters to him is profit.
Though Prakash isn't your typical Hindi film hero with dumdaar dialogues, he rises to the occasion when needed and obviously wins.
Story wise, Pill could have been crisp, more thrilling with some rousing moments but it's not. And that's the biggest let down. There are no twist and turns, no cliffhanging moments, nothing.
So what makes Pill worth watching? It's the performances, especially Riteish Deshmukh's. Despite playing a very one dimensional character, he commands the screen. He even makes you laugh with his poker face. It's nice to see him play a subdued character for once and he does justice to it.
Neha Saraf, who plays his wife, doesn't have much screen time but her sarcastic banter with Riteish adds much-needed humour in the series which does get boring in-between.
Pavan Malhotra is pretty good as Brahma Gill and so is Akshat Chauhan as the investigative journalist. Anshul Chauhan as Riteish's subordinate also lends good support. The rest of the cast is decent.
While most of the episodes are 40 minutes long, the show overall is a slow burner. And with no surprise elements, the climax is pretty much predictable.
So should you watch the series?
Yes, you can binge watch the show over the weekend if you have nothing to do. It's not a show with a lot of WOW moments but it's neither a 'slam-it-right-then-and-there' kinda show either. So give it go because the performances won't let you down even if the story does.
Pill is currently streaming on JioCinema.
