Taj Mahal 1989 Review: Chaotic story weaved with love and politics

On Valentine's Day 2020, Netflix released Taj Mahal 1989, which shares the stories of teen love, grown-up affection, and power.

Taj Mahal 1989
On: Netflix
Episodes: 7
Directed By: Pushpendra Nath Misra
Cast: Anshul Chauhan, Paras Priyadarshan, Anud Singh Dhaka, Neeraj Kabi
Rating: 

Love in the time of politics in 1989 - this is the first thought that comes to mind about Pushpendra Nath Misra's Taj Mahal 1989. Showcasing two different generations back in 1989 - the teens and the adults - the story weaves magic at first, and later, all the love falls flat on the face. Taj Mahal 1989 will surely make you time travel back to the late '80s. Not exaggerating!

The first scene shows Rashmi (Anshul Chauhan) describing her perfect boyfriend Dharam (Paras Priyadarshan) and how happy she is in love with him. As the show moves further, their love story is lost somewhere in between when Dharam decides to contest student elections, giving rise to chaotic situations, involving guns more than roses. Angad (Anud Singh Dhaka), an orphan who keeps it cool, finds a new love interest in communalism while being a part of a party, under the wings of Mamta Roy Choudhary (Shirin Sewani).

Watch the trailer of Taj Mahal 1989 here:

The first episode also follows two lovebirds Sarita (Geetanjali Kulkarni) and Akhtar (Neeraj Kabi) from Lucknow who lost the spark in their marriage, and are struggling to give their relationship another chance. Sarita, a physics teacher in the same university where her husband Akhtar teaches philosophy, aren't on the same page in life anymore. This leaves both of them frustrated in their professional, as well as personal life. What makes their love story special is how the duo decides to go on a honeymoon, visit the symbol of love, the Taj Mahal, once again in 1989, before things go kaput.

As the episodes progress, the show will introduce you to some more people who have an undying love for another person, or towards their work, or for the nation. There's way too much hodgepodge in every couple's story which leaves a chaotic mark at the end. Which story leads where is not the question, but how everyone is connected to Taj Mahal in 1989 is! It's slow, its dark, and of course, things get murkier when Dharam's desire to become a politician makes him join hands with Babbu Bhaiya (Raj Singh), a well-known face in the world of power.

The show surely lacks lustre. As you'll move towards episode 6, one might even lose interest but the curiosity to see how everything ends might keep you hooked. In-between narrations by the characters and constant comparison with the 2020 world, be it Tinder or WhatsApp, seems unnecessary. Pushpendra Nath has created the world of the late '80s in Lucknow aesthetically. With a chaotic storyline, Taj Mahal 1989 might be a disappointing decision to invest your time in.

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