New Zindaginama: A Well-Meaning Exploration of Mental Health That Stumbles on Consistency

Picture a scene where a water bottle tumbles to the ground, and your first instinct is to imagine your closest friend tripping over it, potentially injuring themselves or worse, facing a bizarre calamity. Or consider the moment your fingers lightly touch someone you admire; instead of feeling a surge of excitement, you recoil in dread—overwhelmed, panicking, on the verge of tears. Though such reactions may not typify someone with a stable mind, they resonate with many who grapple with mental turmoil and anxiety on a daily basis.

This World Mental Health Day, Sony Liv has unveiled a new anthology series featuring six independent narratives that explore various mental health challenges including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among others.

This series distinguishes itself from conventional depictions of real-life matters by favoring an authentic representation of how these conditions impact people’s daily experiences, steering clear of cinematic embellishment and excessive information. The scenarios are relatable, evoking a sense that these characters could be part of our own lives.

In these six distinct narratives concerning mental health, we encounter a corporate worker worrying about calorie counts, a teenage boy facing bullying in his hometown, and a man severing ties with friends following a painful breakup. While some narratives dive straight into the distressing aspects, others take a gradual approach.

Shivani Raghuvanshi battles obsessive-compulsive disorder in Malika Kumar’s The Daily Puppet Show (Episode 6)

The series emphasizes the prevalence of these struggles and how easily we overlook the statistics involved. It thoughtfully selects stories from various economic backgrounds, showcasing narratives from impoverished households, middle-class settings, all the way to affluent families. Although the show doesn’t delve deeply into the intricacies of each disorder, the roughly thirty-minute episodes offer a glimpse into living with a particular mental health challenge.

The narrative that resonated most with me was Sahaan Hattangadi’s Purple Duniya. The script and performances are outstanding in this unpredictable tale. Within the first two minutes, we witness a purple rubber duck drifting in a water-filled apartment, pulsating to electronic music. Alright, Hattangadi, you’ve captured my full attention.

We then meet our main character, Raag (Tanmay Dhanania), a 30-year-old who was recently let go from his job and abandoned by his fiancée. Since the changes in his life, he has withdrawn from everyone, ignoring calls from friends and family. It may sound bleak, but here’s the surprise: he is cheerful, lively, and completely relaxed. He views the world through a purple lens, seeing traffic signals, street names, and even vehicles in this hue, as he maneuvers through the streets on his bike at questionable speeds, drifting off into thought.

Tanmay Dhanania’s Purple Duniya (Episode 2) presents an intriguing depiction of mental health struggles in contemporary society

As I watched the episode, I found myself searching online to decipher the mental health issue portrayed. The story held my interest incessantly and astonished me in the finale. I’d love to share more, but I don’t want to spoil the plot.

Another highlight for me was Sumeet Vyas’s Caged, directed by Danny Mamik alongside Hattangadi. This episode centers on the unlikely friendship between Vyas, the city-returned son of the wealthiest man in the village, and a reserved teenage boy played by Mohammad Samad Tumbbad. The latter experiences frequent bullying and struggles with feelings of isolation and misunderstanding. He aspires to study literature, yet his parents are insisting he pursue a medical career.

Mohammad Samad delivers one of the standout performances in the series

Both characters are enshrouded in their own barriers and find comfort in one another’s companionship. The episode is beautifully written and poetic in nature. Samad’s performance stands out as one of the best throughout the entire anthology. His portrayal of emotions, internal conflict, and suffocation resonates powerfully on-screen.

Next came Shreyas Talpade’s Swagatam, where he portrays a character grappling with schizophrenia. He has lost his job, relies on his wife for support, and lives in a constant state of paranoia, fearing that someone is after him. Although his condition isn’t severe enough for him to experience hallucinations, he requires supervision and attends a support group during the day.

Sukriti Tyagi’s narrative captures the essence of life for individuals with schizophrenia, treating them with dignity. The condition is depicted with visual subtleties; scenes featuring Talpade are tinged with a muted yellowish shade, while everything brightens immediately after he exits the frame. Swagatam also effectively showcases the struggles faced by families of individuals with schizophrenia, highlighting their physical, emotional, social, and financial challenges. Although the story’s pacing occasionally falters, Tyagi’s approach to the topic remains both engaging and enlightening.

Shweta Basu Prasad’s portrayal of a PTSD patient in Aditya Sarpotdar’s Bhanwar (Episode 3) is commendable

Shweta Basu Prasad and Priya Bapat deliver standout performances in the anthology. Both portray women, one from a rural area and another from an urban environment, who dread physical intimacy. Their characters experience fear, trembling, and even find it difficult to breathe when touched by the opposite sex. They represent individuals struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, and their performances are among the finest I’ve witnessed in recent cinematic representations of the theme. I wish their episode, Bhanwar, could have maximized the potential of these remarkable actors.

Zindaginama exhibits good intentions but struggles to maintain consistency in its narrative drive. While certain episodes touch the audience effortlessly, others fail to engage, feeling like an incomplete snapshot of someone’s existence. Despite addressing significant issues and lesser-known facets of mental health issues with sensitivity, the series falls short in its execution. Productions with social messages—especially those tackling delicate topics—must carefully balance factual information with entertainment value to avoid coming off as didactic. This approach is crucial to retain the audience’s attention while spreading awareness about sensitive subjects. After all, what is the point of an educational series if it causes a disinterested viewer to switch off?

Moreover, the tonal quality of the six narratives varies significantly from one episode to another. Though I am eager to recommend select stories from this anthology, the others are easily overlooked. Nevertheless, Zindaginama represents a sincere effort to normalize discussions about mental health issues and humanize those affected by them, warranting commendation for its ambitions.

Overall Rating: 6/10

Episodic Rating:

Purple Duniya: 3.5/5

Caged: 3/5

Swagatam: 2.5/5

Bhanwar: 2.5/5

Puppet Show: 2/5

One Plus One: 2/5