Breathe: Into the Shadows Season 2 review: bolstered by engaging performances

Breathe: Into the Shadows Season 2 review

Mayank Sharma conjures an intriguing narrative where the characters get embroiled in the mind games in a bid to solve darker mysteries. There are new people with new and complex shades - a striking one is Victor, played deliciously by Naveen Kasturia, a maniac, aggressive and depressive guy who has an agenda of his own and maneuvers J's killing schemes.

In order to elevate the curiosity quotient a notch higher, Sharma and his team of writers (Arshad Syed, Vikram Tuli, Priya Saggi and Abhijeet Deshpande) unleash the evil and remorseless mentality of J who is all set to engulf Avi and the whole city. Abhishek Bachchan navigates the complex dualities with remarkable unmistakability. He looks vengeful and twice more powerful. It's Bachchan's brooding and intense portrayal that lends sheen to Breathe's suspense and sizzle.

S Bharathwaj's camerawork is effectively claustrophobic and evokes a sense of dread.

But the 8-episode series gets repetitive and predictable after a point, only to be bolstered by an array of engaging performances from the ensemble cast – Kabir (Amit Sadh), Sayami Kher, Seema Biswas, Ivana Kaur and Zaakir Hussain.

To give credits where due, the series gets significantly benefited by a compelling background score (Karan Kulkarni) and sound design( Sanjay Maurya and Allwin Rego).

In Season 1, we witnessed Abha as a loving wife and a caring mother, who was all about protecting her family. But in Season 2, I saw a never-seen-before avatar of Abha, where she does the unthinkable to shield her family from the evil shadow. ‘Koi problem itni badi nahi hoti, ke usko solve naa kiya ja sake!’ Nithya Menen straddles her character with consummate ease and confidence. She is vulnerable, yet unassumingly determined. Trapped in an unexpected nerve-racking situation, Abha breaks the mould to save Avinash & her family from Avinash’s alter ego.

Final words

It's important to watch the Season 1 to relish this season. If not, do watch the recap Teaser to get yourself sufficiently indulged in the world of Breathe.

I go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Breathe : Into the Shadows  Season 2. It is produced by Abundantia Entertainment and streams on Amazon Prime Video from 9th November 2022.

PS: The review is based on the first 3 episodes.