iWorld
Tandav fills the need gap of political drama format for Amazon Prime Video
KOLKATA: As 2021 dawns, Amazon Prime Video has given a peek at its new content line up. The streaming service recently unveiled the trailer of new original series Tandav. The nine-episode political drama will start streaming on 15 January.
Amazon Prime Video India originals head Aparna Purohit said the story of Tandav is truly rooted in our soil. “This is our first political drama. It is an interesting story about the pursuit of power and the lengths one will go to get it and in some cases keep it. It has the right doses of all the ingredients: love, hate, deceive, betrayal, suspense, and thrill,” she shared.
The trailer of the show takes viewers behind the closed, chaotic corridors of power and politics. Set in the capital of the world’s largest democracy, the series is a gripping, fictional drama that showcases the lengths to which people go in their quest for power.
Purohit went on to say that Prime Video has always endeavoured to tell stories that are culturally rooted, shows that can speak to the many Indias that co-exist. While the platform already has many genres in its library of original content, political drama was the only missing piece which will now be addressed by Tandav. For a nation that is so obsessed with its politics, banking on a large scale political drama was not a difficult call to take.
“I distinctly remember when Ali (Ali Abbas Zafar, creator of Tandav) narrated the story to us in 2017. He is a very visual narrator. We felt that the story was a peek into the world that we read about in newspapers and see on the television but hardly know about in detail. It was a very easy decision to make to opt for this one. And then finally the wonderful cast came together for this show and breathed life into the characters and created all the magic. I am incredibly proud of this show and this journey that we have had,” she said.
Directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, the political drama features an ensemble cast comprising Saif Ali Khan, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub, Dimple Kapadia, Kritika Kamra, Gauahar Khan, Sarah Jane Dias, Sunil Grover, Dino Morea, Anup Soni, Kumud Mishra and Sandhya Mridul. The script is by Article 15 writer Gaurav Solanki.
The official synopsis of the web series reads, “The charismatic leader of a premiere political party, Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan), feels he’s ready to inherit the chair of PM after his party wins the elections. Samar’s father, the party patriarch and the prime minister of the country, Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia) is not willing to retire yet. Anuradha, Devki’s close associate (Dimple Kapadia), party senior leader Gopal Das (Kumud Mishra) are few of many other leaders considering themselves fit to sit the chair. But the chair never comes easy. A parallel story plays out with the idealistic campus activist Shiva (Zeeshan Ayub) who becomes an overnight youth icon as he shines at a political event. Shiva wants to bring about the change, sway the youth and overthrow the power pillars. Shiva gets the first taste of power. Shiva and Samar’s lives intersect as the national politics meets the campus activism. The dance of politics ensues as a series of events expose the inherent deceit, manipulation, greed, ambition and violence in all the relationships.”
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
