Smoke, But No Fire

A series about drugs in Goa will feature standard characters: Russians, Kashmiris, Nigerians and corrupt government workers and police. Eros Now’s new show, Smoke, is predictable in its treatment of the issue, but is elevated by good acting and stunning cinematography. Directed by Neil Guha, the web series goes into the politics and functioning of Goa’s drug-laden underbelly.

At its centre is the unlikely partnership between Moshe Barak and Vilas ‘Bhau’ Sathe. The late Tom Alter’s Moshe is a ruthless, egotistical and sleazy Russian druglord whose flamboyance finds perfect foil in Prakash Belwadi’s understated Bhau, a criminal who believes in relationships, loyalty over unnecessary violence. Their competition comes from a Nigerian criminal, Azumi, and a Sri Lankan supplier, Velu. But the biggest threat to them is an honest chief minister determined to rid Goa of the drug trade. He is aided in this mission by his trustworthy ACP, Robert Ignatius Pereira (Satyadeep Misra). His initials (R.I.P.) are apt for a show that revels in killing off people. Characters who survive appear and disappear at will. The powerpacked cast adds more name recognition than actual worth. Sometimes, the show has more expletives per episode than facial expressions. Stand-out characters include Jim Sarbh’s Roy, Moshe’s right-hand man, and Gulshan Devaiah’s JJ. The contract killer from Bihar shares a bromance with Bhau’s son, Pushkar (Sial Amit), which is possibly the most honest relationship on the show. There’s a bit of hilarity (possibly only for Goans) in seeing an honest CM and in the few badly pronounced Konkani expletives. Beyond this, there’s very little Konkani or a significant Goan presence.

Smoke is a well-shot series and uses Goa’s natural beauty as an idyllic backdrop. The series released on October 26.