YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam is present, but his character’s flare-ups aren’t the least bit convincing, observes Sukanya Verma.

If Charles Perrault Toads and Diamonds Fairy tale has been turned into Hollywood thriller Echelon Conspiracy along with Bollywood masalas Badmaash Company and Vaastavthe bizarre mishmash would emerge Taaza Chabar.

Just like in Perrault’s story, compassion for an ugly crone is rewarded with a magical boon.

It’s a future-predicting phone like Shane West’s 2009 Stinker.

A ragtag crew bands together to create a company that goes up and down like Shahid Kapoor’s swindle.

throw in Vaastav‘s underdog against the world angle and what do you have?

In director Himank Gaur’s awkward new web series, conceived by Aziz Dalal and authored by Hussain and Abbas Dalal, YouTube sensation Bhuvan Bam makes his debut as Vasant Gawde aka Vasya, a Mumbai drain boy who is a runs public toilet while being pursued by luck but dreams big.

Between potty mouths and potty heaps, Taaza Chabar‘s Sloppy Dirt relentlessly tests the viewer’s tolerance for the ick factor.

Burdened by father problems (Vijay Nikam) at home and the desire to end his mother’s (Atisha Naik) weary life as housemaid to a cranky old Parsi man (Mithilesh Chaturvedi), Vasya finds solace with next-door prostitute Madhu (Shriya Pilgaonkar). . ) weapons and friendship from Bachpan ka Buddy Peter (Prathamesh Parab).

Peter runs a fast food stand next to friendly baker Mehboob Bhai (Deven Bhojani), whose nerdy daughter (Nitya Mathur) embodies the American dream.

Secular images and clichés duly mark her presence in a possessive local politician (JD Chekravarthy) who lusts after Madhu and the mischievous brothel lady (Shilpa Shukla).

Mahesh Manjrekar makes a cameo appearance as a shady matchstick industry bigwig.

It all starts when Vasya gets an opportunity to reverse his fortune and friends.

But when he grows too big for his boots, so does his imagination.

Bam has a presence about him and fits well into the character and his surroundings, but his character’s restlessness and flare-up aren’t the least bit convincing.

Inventions pile up as the authors give Vasya free reign over his destiny, conveniently forgetting that the phone is not a wish-granting device but a forecaster of messages that can be used to his advantage.

Between random childhood flashbacks that underscore him as a boy from the back streets to his meteoric rise in status and society, Taaza Chabar never quite becomes the cautionary tale it’s meant to be.

Humble beginnings to discover power as a tool of corruption is a deadly premise, but Vasya’s confused mind and depressing lack of humor tick off plot points mechanically without ever making the spectacular events of his life seem like a journey.

Half a dozen episodes play out like a casual discussion between writers planning incidents and consequences, but nothing is fleshed out.

Taaza Chabar has a competent bunch of actors at work, but the more Vasya gets into the limelight, the more his accomplices go from prospects to expendable buddies.

Instead of allowing Shriya Pilgaonkar’s lead actress’s self-indulgent moment to take her place in the sun, she becomes a tool to fuel Vasya’s narcissism.

There is nothing that can take away from his magic against miracles funds.

Jadoo dhoka se hota hai aur chamatkar yakeen se, Taaza Khabar reminds us from beginning to end. It’s a beautiful line looking for a story.

Taaza Khabar streams on Disney+Hotstar.

Taaza Khabar Review Rediff Rating: