Naagin 5 good start

 After Naagin  4’s lacklustre performance, the task is cut out for  Ekta  Kapoor and her team to take the fifth instalment of this Colors snake women series to its former glory.

Honestly, when  I sat down to watch the season 5 premiere, I was unsure of what to expect as the past four seasons have already exhausted most naagin tropes.

 But   I did enjoy the first episode.

 To start with, I will not dwell on the what and why of fantasy, when you enjoy Game  Of   Throne why not desi folklore?

   Season five has the element of past seasons.

 Brinda’s( Nia  Sharma)  guy  Dev (Vijayendra Kumeria)  is on death bed, and she reaches an ancient mandir(temple)  hoping to save his life.

Entre baddies Vishaka(  Anita  Hassanandani) and Shalakha ( Rashami  Desai)  who want to bum off  Dev for his mani. ( Cant, the maker, conjure up a new prize).

   Anita looks ravishing, sadly  Rashmi appeared a bit overweight.  Nia’s piping hot avatar continues.   Just one question should you wear a sexy outfit in a mandir?

 

 

 To save Brinda, past naagins, Shesha( Adaa  Khan)  and   Bela/ Shravani  (Surbhi  Jyoti )  come back from the collapsed temple columns.

 

   Good  CG has been used with naagins fighting each other and shapeshifting.

 The girl twice  breaks into naagin dance . Sadly the choreography left much to be desired, and  Adaa looked bored.

 Here a warning to season 5 males,  Mohit  Malhotra and   Dheeraj  Dhooper fans, your fav might not have much to do. Ask poor Vijayendra who hardy spoke one word in the season climax,  just playing dead .

After a brief battle, the baddies were taken out  ( slaying of the twin-headed  Bela was fun).

 But with Dev still not breathing, naagins invoke Lord Shiva to resurrect the highest being in the naagin order. Adi naagin ( Hina  Khan) who alone can kiss  life into the dead.

For that, at first, she will have to tell her 10000-year-old curse story to  Brinda.

 This period was before naagins got shapeshifting powers.  Adi naagin will have to relive her horror, so expect a time jump to present time and yes sexy naagins again turning human and viceversa

 

 

  Million dollars looking   Hina will do justice to sultry snake women avatar.

  

 It would be interesting to see how   Surbhi Chandna fits into the fantasy genre.  Till now, she has essayed realistic characters(   Ishqbaaz and Sanjeevni 2)  here; she will have to let her imagination run riot .  Her role will clash with  Adi  Naagin.

  Expect a more glammy side of  Ms.  Chandna to come to the fore

 We don’t want to say anything about the show’s chance as the story is yet to open.

 But yes the task has been made more challenging with COVID   restrictions and possible budgetary slashes.

Adaa and  Surbi  Jyoti guest appearance was a smart ploy try to reconnect with previous season audiences. Maybe season 1 lead   Mouni should have taken the place of Adaa as season 2 was a damp squib.