3 Roses - A Half-decent Buddy Comedy

'3 Roses' is streaming on Aha. In this section, we are going to review the web series.

Story:

Three women (played by Eesha Rebba, Payal Rajput, and Purnaa) have a hard time navigating their equations with elders. If the first of them has to kill her budding career for the sake of forced marriage, the second one has a nagging mother who wants to curb her freedom. The third one is 30 and is hating that she is still single. Her babai (who has been her guardian after the demise of her father) is apparently insincere about settling her down.

Analysis:

Showrunner Maruthi has roped in director Maggi and a roster of familiar actors. The project, commissioned by Aha, gets the casting right. Payal Rajput is a potential star and it's good that she has done a web series. As someone who has done bold roles in movies like 'Rx 100', she plays the role of a free-spirited, sex-loving woman well.

Purnaa, who has played an extremely boring character in the recent 'Sundari', is adequate. Her comic timing is interesting. While she fails to make us feel her pain (it's because Ravi Namburi's writing is not fleshed out in the first four episodes that are currently streaming), the context of her character is not lost on the viewer.

Eesha Rebba's story is told first. She has the talent of a creative ad maker, but at home, she has to take whatever her authoritative father asks her to. When she is paired up with Viva Harsha during a matchmaking ceremony, she is shocked. Her plan goes haywire.

The story starts to take off only in the fourth episode. But it's with this episode that the first installment comes to an abrupt end. The next four episodes, which are going to conclude the first season, will stream from November 19.

Sunny MR's background music is unassuming, while the cinematography is glossy. It would have helped had the story involving Payal been told in a more believable fashion. Nothing much can be made of her boyfriend. Is it true love or are they in a mere casual relationship? The next episodes are going to answer it.

The show has to transcend the temptation of carrying on with below-the-belt jokes (as epitomized by Sarayu Roy's character). Sathyam Rajesh is hilarious. Goparaju Ramana and Ishan are seen as Purnaa's babai and Eesha's ex, respectively.

Verdict:

Once the entire season is up, one would be able to judge the web series better. For now, the half meals deserve half the total marks.