In the 21st century, most people use the Internet on a daily basis, but there is more to the global network than meets the eye. Helmed by Simarpreet Singh, this series exposes the often-disturbing darker side of the Internet through the lens of five inter-connected stories. Kevin (Gautam Mehra) aspires to be a social media influencer and is obsessed with the number of likes, shares, and comments on his posts, as well as drawing the attention of a well-known influencer, Deepali (Aashima Mahajan). His flatmate, Prateek (Kshitij Chauhan), is constantly active on dating apps with a goal of getting laid with all the attractive girls in town at least once before blocking them forever. He's only concerned with keeping up with his "hottie in town" image on his guy's group, where everyone just brags about the women they've hooked up with. Then there's Rishi (Manjot Singh), a shy guy who doesn't have much going on in his life other than stalking Richa (Pranali Rathod) and trying hard to talk to her, with the rest of his time spent watching porn. He even registers on a pornographic website, where he meets Wild Butterfly (Elnaaz Norouzi), a girl who satisfies his desires while also serving as his life coach. Lastly, there's a hardcore Punjabi guy, Vikas (Varun Sharma), an app developer who recently relocated to the United States. He is in a long-distance relationship with his college sweetheart Shikha (Tanya Maniktala).
The writers (Amit Babbar and Mrighdeep Singh Lamba) have explored the internet activities occurring in and around the so-called dark web by focussing on these five stories. This is the place where Internet surfers would want to go to indulge in those fetishes and desires that they'd rather keep out of the public eye. However, the series also examines how the technology that makes the web possible is now insinuating itself, more and more, into everyday life. Here, nothing stays hidden forever! Overall, the plot revolves around the characters' various personas in the real and social worlds. For instance, Wild Butterfly aka Sara Khan aspires to be an actress but ends up working for a porn site to make ends meet. Deepali, who has millions of followers and is always upbeat on social media, is in fact self-conscious about her body and lacks confidence.
Character development is in place, and, unfortunately it resonates with the audience more than the plot. Varun Sharma and Tanya Maniktala's love story is somewhat endearing. Tanya (known for playing the lead in 'A Suitable Boy') makes the most of her limited screen time. Varun and Manjot, the reunited 'Fukrey' franchise duo, are entertaining to watch. Varun is the one who is hilarious, especially when he is trying to adjust to the American culture and longing for home and Indian food. Manjot, on the other hand, seems comically sweet and bewildered all of the time. Gautam Mehra's Kevin as a hyperactive content creator is idiotic but convincing - many people will identify with his quest to become an influencer. Debutant Kshitij Chauhan embodies the over-confident charmer and has a negative side to his character that will make you loathe his Prateek. Elnaaz Norouzi brings a lot of oomph to the screen, especially when she's playing a pornographer.
In conclusion, this seven-part series is aimed squarely towards the younger generation, for whom the internet and social media have become an inextricable part of their daily lives. However, it becomes entangled in its own web of clichés and sloppy execution, failing to connect well enough to make it a compelling watch. Despite its shortcomings, it is watchable to some extent if you have nothing else to do.
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