#Review: Toothpari

First of all, I applaud Pratim D. Gupta for foraying into a less-experimented genre. Most Indians are too afraid to try anything new, for they prefer anticipated appreciation. Toothpari, even with its flaws and loopholes, is a successful entertainer that showcases the story of a vampire and a human. In fact, it is much more than a mere love story. It has subtle elements of humour, enough pathos and a lingering liking for these supernatural beings (which was my guilty pleasure; sadly, there wasn’t any likeable male vampire).

Toothpari is set in Kolkata and the writer does an amazing job bringing this city of fun and frolic to life. There’s an unintentional heavy air that is further amplified by the addition of Wiccan members who perform rituals to strengthen their powers (futile attempt, I tell you). There’s a brilliant Revathi as Luna Luka, an affable Shantanu Maheshwari as Doc Roy and a likeable Tanya Maniktala as Rumi. Rumi has fangs that emerge at the sight of blood and she happens to break her right canine accidentally when she bites a human’s prosthetic neck. Afraid that the leader of her clan, Ora, would punish her, she decides to visit a dentist in an attempt to get the tooth fixed.

Cupid strikes and Roy is enchanted by this strange rendezvous. Rumi’s intoxicating voice and her bold attempts at praising Doc Roy’s ‘nakedness’ add to their chemistry; it’s worth watching. The role of AD is dominating and he doesn’t fail to irritate the viewers with his vicious planning. I loved how the concept of Cutmundus was introduced yet the logical reason behind the presence of vampires in Kolkata was unclear. Maybe their origin, creation and spread is handled in the next season. Maybe their urge to align their interests with the human species is handled better in the next season. Maybe, just maybe, Rumi’s rebellious nature and her superpowers that seemed like an overkill are also taken up as a major theme in the next season but that’s too far-fetched an idea unless it comes to fruition.

The pace of the show is bearable yet I felt the verbosity could have been reduced to a certain extent and the episode length could have been worked upon. There’s a certain addiction to binge-watch and finish the series. The loveliest part is when Doc Roy’s parents are on screen and their neverending efforts to please Rumi to become their DIL are evident. They are jovial Bengalis who believe in the sanctity of the institution of marriage. So does Roy but his perspectives alter after he realizes his love for Rumi. The show touches upon several themes like humanity over selfishness, love being the most powerful emotion, pulling all stops to get what you want and the societal stigmas around love, virginity, sex and marriage. Though not completely, the show definitely probes the viewers to imagine a world where humans coexist with vampires or werewolves or witches. And sadly, it doesn’t take time to realize how humans are the least cooperative of all.

With a lot of unanswered questions, the show kind of ends on a cliffhanger (something that I thought was borrowed from Just Like Heaven– movie). Honestly, I am eagerly waiting for its second part.

Hence, I recommend this one because Hindi Cinema has done a good job here!

Ciao!