Aarya 3 Review: Sushmita Sen Ties The Loose Ends But Doesn't Rise Above Predictability

The stakes were always high for Aarya Sareen, who was forced to take over the drug business after her husband was killed, leaving her torn between her family and the need to provide for them. In the series finale, all bets are off as Aarya is pushed against the wall. Will she bounce back or perish with her loved ones?

Part 2 of season 3 unfolds at a pace a crime thriller should, balancing the drama with the thrill, often unfolding in a quick montage of action sequences. What we get is a well-drawn out and worthy conclusion to a show that started off by relying solely on Sushmita Sen's shoulders but steadily let others come into play and hold their own.

Hot Take

Aarya's battle for survival is two-way. On one hand, she deals with the Russian mafia after a partnership is brokered by a local drug lord and her son, on the other, she struggles to win back the long-lost trust of her family members.

Through the seasons, Aarya's enemies have moved from outside the walls to within. Every step she takes puts lives on the line., but we know that it comes with the job description. In holding her own, she makes some questionable decisions. As Aarya navigates the perils of the business, to succeed is the only way out.

Does Aarya 3 live up to the hype?

Show with a vision

The show did lose its grip somewhere in the middle act, but it's as taut as ever as the climax approaches. It is well edited, and the tense scenes keep the viewers engaged. What is also worth acknowledging is how a single act of a drug deal gone wrong and its subsequent repercussions dominating most part of the season does not feel tedious. Those on the vicinity of the narrative take the centerstage towards the finale, making Aarya a show with a purpose. It's evident that the makers had a clear vision for the climax and worked the story backwards.

Emotional turmoil: Sushmita nails the mom scenes

Aarya's family scenes have an emotional string attached to them but since the protagonist has delved so deep into the world of crime, there seems almost no redemption for her, at least within the walls of her home. Sushmita is often non-confrontational emphasising how detached she is from her kids. She is distant not just emotionally but in the way she occupies the space within her spacious residence, almost always looking away from her loved ones. We don't always understand what's she going through. And it's this unpredictability that makes Aarya dangerous.

There is treachery lurking at every step. An air of mystery prevails and the soft background score builds the tension beat by beat. The underlying theme, that a mother will go to any extent for the safety of her children, is well carved out and Sushmita is bold in her portrayal.

Terror in the air

The scenes in which Aarya meets her associates and adversaries, a terror looms in the air. The makers have managed to intercut intense scenes with sentimental family portions, till the time they blend into each other, hinting that the danger prevails everywhere. This creates an edge-of-the-seat narrative that never loses sight of the overall drama for the sake of set pieces.

Stream it or skip it?

More than what will happen in the end, it is Aarya's journey, the ups and downs, her decision at every step, that makes up the story. Creator Ram Madhvani has managed to deliver a character with a definitive arc who gives the show its high points and a rousing conclusion.

Bottomline

Aarya starts off with Aarya trying to shield her family from a life of crime but soon finds herself entangled in it. It's an emotional roller-coaster of a show with strong performances and a well-crafted screenplay working in its favour. Based on the Dutch show 'Penoza', Aarya is well adapted and doesn't compromise on its feminist undertones, something that made it popular in the first place.

Rating: 3/5