A likable addiction. Review on Powder

The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 (NDPS Act) sets out the statutory framework for drug law enforcement in India. Beyond a few Newspaper reports of Seizure and some Images of Poly Packs containing tightly packed White powder , which appear now & then, We have never been able to perceive that there can exist a Smart , Dare Devil & an Ultra Sophisticated Organisation like the NCB [Narcotics Control Bureau] which continuously fights the challenge of a very mature and well evolved Web like Crime Network. The story focuses on one such Drug Lord 'Ansari' & the best men from NCB under the Leadership of Usman Sir, trying to pin him episode after episode, unsuccessfully. The factor which determines success of Drug Business is the veil of secrecy wrapped around it. This is their most important weapon. They are always under cover and lead a parallel life. But, there are always betrayers on either side. Like every other Serious Business, Even The Drug business has it's sacrosanct Rules, There exists a Business Jargon or Terminology and has it's Processes like any other. They speak of Stock or Inventory, Sale or Despatches , Incoming Shipments and they have a Dealer Network too !

The story is quite simple. It’s the Bad guy selling powder V/s the Good Guys who want to stop him and his fraternity effectively. Naved Ansari is the Drug lord who happens to be the next big thing in the Underworld. He has arrived. He has eliminated Karim lala and has completely taken over the Drug distribution business. The business is on a Boom and is Ansari’s on a High. His swift and Shrewd Business like thinking, His extremely Cold & Analytical Mind which calculates every move his Opposition makes, His restrained and controlled character leaves you spell bound. The Good guy chasing him with his Team is Usmaan Ali Malik , The Superintendent of the Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai Branch. His moist yet dry eyes, grin and alcohol driven laugh lines tell tales of his learning from the years of experience. You will instantly like Usmaan Sir, for his Efficiency and Honesty which immediately appeal to you. It is only with some one like him around you feel a bit comfortable and confident that there is hope. Usmaan Sir's Team of Intelligence Officers consists of the very efficient Karthik [Updated -Is strangled by Ansari in the April 29th Episode] , Mahendar [another show stealer] with Brinda Sawhney [Super Performance]. Hats off to the Director for getting excellent performances from artists even in small scenes or one-time short performers. The serial starts with an unusual arrest in the first episode which could lead to Ansari, but somehow it slips away as Ansari succeeds in getting a respite from the law. Ansari wants to move away to Dubai but his plans are thwarted by his Dubai Counterparts. In NCB, the chase continues and despite the differences between Mahinder and Brinda they succeed in jointly breaking a network in Chamba. Some time later Ansari's rival Raghav is released from jail. He plunders one of Ansari's Godown and looses his Man Friday Selva when Ansari counter-attacks. Raghav wants to help NCB but Usmaan does not trust him and keeps him at an arms length. Ansari ties up with a New Chinese supplier to become less dependent on Dubai so that the Big Guns in Dubai realise his worth and invite him to migrate to Dubai, which is his ultimate dream. He has relentlessly trained his brother Wasim and his Henchman Raja to take charge of the operations during his absence. But Usmaan Sir and team are irritating him now and then and he is forced to change his plans or abandon a few when he finds them on his trail. Ansari knows he is treading on very dangerous ground and his each move is calculated.In the latest episode, Usmaan succeeds in planting a Sim Card in Ansari's Distribution network and does some eaves dropping and learn about a huge shipment landing very shorty....

While the success of the serial is due to it's strong Screenplay and Script, A Fantastic Cast, Incredible Sound & technical effects [For instance using Silence very effectively especially in the scenes when Ansari is around], and realistic locations effectively give you a Cinematic experience on the small screen. This is normally very difficult to achieve and Hats of to the team of Powder and the Director Atul Sabharwal who after a documentary-like research[9 Years] has built an edge-of-the-seat thriller that not only entertains but goes deep into the wide spectrum of narcotics that’s, perhaps, far more entrenched in our everyday lives than we imagine.

So far commercial success has evaded Powder for Slotting at prime time on TV. Powder has been quite unfortunately missing this and is being aired at 11 PM on Thursdays which is rather unfair. But with the increased viewership every week, this too, is bound to change, hopefully.