The Night Manager by Sandeep Modi is an adaptation of John le Carre’s novel of the same name which was also the basis for an award-winning British series. Starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Anil Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Tillotama Shome, and Saswata Chatterjee, the series looked promising when the trailer was released. But the four-episode thriller leaves you hanging at the end. Here’s our review of The Night Manager, read on to find out if it is worth a watch.

The first two episodes build a strong story

The first two episodes of The Night Manager will quickly get you hooked. The story begins in Bangladesh where the Rohingya people are protesting and are out on the streets to fight for their rights. Meanwhile, flights have been cancelled due to the outrage and there is chaos and panic at Orient Pearl, a reputed five-star hotel. But the night manager of the hotel, Shaan Sengupta (Aditya Roy Kapur) has all hands on deck to handle the situation. Here, he comes across a child bride of a local mafia who asks for his help to escape and run back to India. And in return, she provides him with intel on one of the most dangerous arms dealers Shailendra Rungta (Anil Kapoor). But somehow, the information is leaked and the girl is murdered which leaves Shaan traumatised.

A few years down the line, Shaan once again meets Shailendra aka Shelly. And this time, he wastes no time and informs Lipika Saika (Tillotama Shome), a RAW agent. From then on, the two plan a whole mission to catch Shelly who is an industrialist and philanthropist for the world but a merchant of war and death in reality. And this leads to Shaan ending up on Shelly’s private island and befriending him to spy on him.

The engaging series ends too quickly and leaves you hanging

With a stellar cast, one would expect a more well-rounded story but it is a little too short for anybody’s liking. The Night Manager manages to keep you engrossed and on the edge, but the climax leaves you in suspense and wanting more. A lot of characters are left unexplored which makes you question the purpose of putting them there in the first place. It can seem like the intentions of the main characters are not revealed fully, giving it an incomplete edge.

A great cast that could have been used better

Aditya Roy Kapur as Shaan is a great casting decision since he is pretty convincing as an ex-navy officer and a night manager. Anil Kapoor as the dangerous arms dealer holds his ground and does justice to his role. Tillotama Shome is also a delight as she delivers a great performance and keeps the show lively with her comic comebacks. Sobhita has been majorly underused and is only shown as Shelly’s bombshell girlfriend. But whenever she’s on screen, she manages to catch your attention and makes you want to see more of her. Along with her, Shelly’s main men played by Saswata Chatterjee and Ravi Bahl deliver commendable performances as well.

So, if you’re looking for an engaging thriller, The Night Manager will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is now streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

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