Zindaginama Review: Shreyas Talpade’s Slice-Of-Life Anthology Is A Brilliant Attempt At Breaking Mental Health Stigmas

Seldom do we see mental health disorders in film or streaming portrayed In a way that doesn't demonize the condition or uses it as a plot device to generate thrills (think: Bhool Bhulaiya, Tere Naam). Starring Shreyas Talpade, Sumeet Vyas, Shruti Seth, Prajakta Kohli, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Priya Bapat and other OTT mavens, SonyLiv's slice-of-life anthology titled Zindaginama showcases six mental health conditions—all while retaining a didactic and educational tone.

The first episode, titled ‘Swaagatam’ grapples with paranoid schizophrenia, a condition which makes Mukul (played convincingly by Shreyas Talpade) cover the windows of his house with newspapers. He is paranoid about the police, who he thinks it out to get him. Anjali Patil plays Malti, Mukul’s wife who is the breadwinner of the family and works under a toxic boss at the sewing factory. A wedding invitation from Mukul’s friend wreaks havoc as he prepares a sweet dish and shows up at the wedding, against his friend’s wishes.

‘Swaagatam’ portrays just how painful and exclusionary mental health stigma is. Mukul’s friend would rather not have him at his wedding (owing to his mental health condition), even though Mukul wants to gift him homemade Kalonji. Talpade’s portrayal of Mukul and Patil’s portrayal of a wife (who is ready to take on the world to be by her husband) is full of pathos. Not just Mukul, even Malti is systematically excluded at her workplace until her co-worker shows solidarity and finally invites them to her wedding.

The second episode, ‘Caged’ shows Keith Sebastian (played by Sumeet Vyas) revisit his village where he meets a young boy Raju, who struggles with body dysmorphia—a crippling condition which seldom finds its way to celluloid. Keith, who himself has daddy issues, acts as an ally to Raju, helping him embrace his identity and transition into Qala (played by Ivanka Das), a bestselling author. The story is an important one—it shows just how abrasive and corrosive childhood trauma and body dysmorphia can be.

The third episode is set in the hinterlands—we see two wives, both married to abusive husbands, being demonized as those around them believe that they are possessed. Priya Bapat plays Vidya, a village woman who is married to Jugnu, a man who forces himself on her every night. Her mother-in-law is holding her hostage (quite literally) for not being able to birth a son. Elsewhere in the city, a father takes daughter to a Dargah because she refused to let her husband touch her on their wedding night.

Tilted ‘Bhanwar’, the episode shows in stunning detail how superstitious beliefs, especially around Black Magic, act as a hurdle in timely diagnosis of mental health conditions. While Vidya is struggling with PTSD from having been sexually abused, Namrata, the city woman, has serious sexual trauma where non-consensual sends her into panic mode.

Based on research by Mpower and created by Neerja Birla, Zindaginama is the most important show of our times. That it is brilliantly made is an achievement of the incredible writers who depict the harsh reality of struggling with mental illness in stunning detail. Arguably the strongest episode in the show is ‘Purple Duniya’ which stars Shruti Seth. Seth plays a clinical psychologist who helps Raag (Tanmay Dhanania) overcome gaming addiction.

The show also stars Shivani Raghuvanshi who plays Leela in episode ‘The Daily Puppet Show’ along with Sayandeep Sengupa. Leela is grappling with intrusive OCD and self-image issues, even as she educates kids, with the help of a puppet show, on how to deal with unwanted thoughts. Special mention to Lillete Dubey who plays the mother of Meera (Prajakta Kohli), a girl battling eating disorder and body image issues in episode titled ‘One Plus One’.

What doesn’t work for the show is that it tends to demarcate each of its principal characters, those struggling with mental illness, with specific markers—with the only possible exceptions being Purple Duniya and One Plus One. Those struggling with mental illness often coexist with the world at large, and don’t often stand out with peculiar traits that differentiates them from others. What also didn’t sit well with this critic is Priya Bapat’s face being overly darkened with bronzer in episode ‘Bhanwar’,

With six hard-hitting stories, each exploring a mental health condition, Zindaginama might just be the OTT show of the year. It is educational, informative and will tug at your heartstrings, despite some of its flaws. That it has a stellar cast—each member of which does complete justice to their roles is a plus.

All episodes of Zindaginama are now streaming on SonyLiv.