We are living in the era of influencers on twitter, Instagram, snap chat, tic tok and many more. Controversies are a part and parcel of fame, which at times even takes humans through the darkest route. The newly released Hotstar series, Escaype Live, is a take on this dark world of social media fame.
The first episode sets up the premise wherein a multi-national company starts it’s own application inviting talent from across the country. It’s more like a live talent hunt show, wherein no one but the audience have the final say giving ratings in the form of ‘diamonds’ on the app. It has some rules, which includes no promotion of smoking, drinking and pornography. The reach of the app is not just limited to the cities but also extends to the interiors.
In the first episode, the makers establish the world of Escaype Live – the key stakeholders, the employees as also the user base. It also showcases how different set of people use the application for different needs. While Siddharth takes up the job as the family is in need of money, Jaaved Jaaferi plays the head, whereas Waluscha will be seen as a ruthless boss, for whom money comes over anything else.
Director Siddharth Kumar Tewary sets up his world right in the first episode, leaving all the conflicts to be explored further in the episodes to follow. Talking of performances, it’s a big ensemble and the first episode is merely spent in establishing the character traits, as also the world of social media. Jaaved Jaaferi, to Waluscha De Sousa, Siddharth and the rest – it seems to be an able cast, though one would get hang of their emotional cycle as the series progresses.
All in all, the opening episode of Escaype Live succeeds in establishing the world, and does show some promise, though a lot depends on how the director handles the complexities in his screenplay, as the final outcome can go either ways.