India is not very open to science fiction especially if it is made in the country. The mistake lies in the fact that the producers get so busy with glamour and lights while experimenting with this form that logic goes completely out of the window. JL50 web series hopefully can rescue this situation. It was made as a science fiction movie but was released in the form of a web series on SonyLIV.
JL50 web series has an experienced star cast with Piyush Mishra, Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapoor and Ritika Anand in lead roles. It is a new experiment in the genre and explores time travel through Indian mythology. In order to ensure that the audience does not get fully lost in heavy words, the director has used emotion and mystery in the series as well.
JL50 web series starts with a CBI officer Shantanu Das played by Abhay Deol who is given a task to investigate a plane crash. It becomes a top-secret mission when they realise that the plane had crashed in a Northern Bengal area and was flown from Kolkata, at that time Calcutta Airport 35 years ago. Piyush and Pankaj are in the roles of scientists who can offer to solve this mysterious puzzle.
Abhay as an investigator has a past which hangs on him every time. Pankaj suggests him to time travel to see how the plane crashed after three and half decades from its take-off and Abhay does not believe him. He thinks that the accident is being dramatised and there is some other motive behind it.
JL50’s strength lies in the fact that it brings out an Indian perspective to time travel. It is a sci-fi show where Hollywood concepts have not been copied for time travel. It is the first original science fiction of India, unlike other films which have been shown in this genre previously.
Filmmaker Shailender Vyas brings Emperor Ashoka, his peace treaties and some other Indian history to give a desi touch to the series. The best moment of the show is when Pankaj gives a speech on a time wrap India is in and forms an opinion as well. He says that we do not accept what India offers us and focus on things like ‘mandir-masjid, Hindu-Muslim, andhvishwas’.
He emphasises on the need of scientific temperament and says, “If we spot an object in the sky, we fold our hands and begin worshipping it. We do not ask what, why, how?” JL50 web series is ideal for those who do not love science fiction or quantum physics but thrillers. The science is covered in the spirit of dark and mystery which keeps you at the edge of the seat throughout.
The JL50 web series has been filmed and written by Shailender Vyas and is an interesting story. It has an amalgamation of science fiction and Indian storytelling with excellent performance of the whole cast. The execution of the series fails very often. There are inconsistencies in language, accent and background of characters as they move from the 1980s to 2019. The twists are well-explained and predictable. It is not flawless but a gripping and mind-boggling thriller which is an excellent step taken towards sci-fi genre in India.
JL50 Web Series Reviews over various platforms are of mixed nature. Overall JL50 Web Series ratings are average. For the ease of users, we have aggregated JL50 Web Series ratings here to help you decide yourself.
