‘Five Six Seven Eight’ series review: Electrifying performances elevate this insipid drama
Express News Service
In recent years, there hasn’t been a lot of content aimed at mid-teens. Now, the void has been filled by the first-of-its-kind, dance-based web series, Five Six Seven Eight, created by Vijay. While childhood and mid-teenage are said to be blissful phases filled with innocence and high spirits to conquer anything and everything, it is believed that films for them will nurture the abilities of empathy, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and understanding worldviews. And the recently released Five Six Seven Eight, with camaraderie, teamwork, and talent as the core ideas, aims at fostering much-needed motivation and hope for youngsters.
The eight-episode mid-teen dance drama series is about Semba (Ditya) and Vikram (aka) Viky, budding dancers from humble and elite backgrounds, respectively. As the rival gangs prepare for the biggest dancing competition in the world, an unexpected incident puts them all in a rough phase, but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise for them.
Semba, a street dancer, lives in a slum juxtaposing a skyscraper building where her mother, Veni, works as a domestic help. In one of the initial scenes in the series, Veni chases Semba to make her take care of their fish stall. However, Semba can’t resist but break into dance when she hears the drum roll. She yields to her instinct and even goes on to sing a hearty song on how she is destined to leap onto the moon and skies.
Semba and her friends are unstoppable. With a firm belief that they, dancers, don’t need wings to fly, they sway away hardships with a joie de vivre attitude. For them, getting dance shoes and acquiring formal training is a luxury beyond imagination. But that does not stop them from marching towards the goal. On the other hand, Viky is a passionate dancer from an affluent household. He and his friends belittle and make fun of Semba and the team’s humble background. The series also highlights the privileges of the affluent and the ordeals of the downtrodden.
However, the well-intentioned ideas don’t translate into anything magical or inventive because of shallow writing. The element of dance is mired in a conventional drama that tags maids as thieves and blames the less privileged when things go wrong. There’s only a respite when Semba shows her dissent to ill-treatment in her capabilities. The sub-plots are predictable with the uptown girl and proxy revenge tropes.
Nevertheless, these shortcomings take a back seat whenever Semba, Viky and friends set the dance floor on fire. These youngsters’ mindblowing performances throughout the eight episodes are a visual treat! The finesse in the acrobatics, rhythmic synchronisation and aesthetic presentation of dance forms ranging from Tamil folk to freestyle western by the young talents create a zesty mood whenever they pop up. Sam CS’ creates an exuberant musical landscape with an impressive mix of genres.
The stage show sets remind us of some of the famous talent shows we grew up watching. Interestingly, the series creator Vijay adds a lovely nostalgic reference from one of his films, the Vijay-starrer Thalaivaa, by naming Semba’s dance team Tamil Pasanga.
Although the plot is predictable, a rather fair narrative with a cliffhanger ending-of-sorts in each episode makes this series watchable. The first episode offers a glimpse of the climacteric conflict that unfolds on the eve of the grand finale. The following episodes intercut between the flashback that shows how these teens make it to the international competition and the challenges they encounter before their performance. Kudos to the teen dancers, as they deliver a compelling screen presence added with terrific performances.
Highly inspired by the Step Up and High School Musical franchises, the series marks an honest attempt at the Indianisation of the dance drama genre, popular in the West. It also tries to be more than just a dance drama by entwining values like standing up for each other, unity and a healthy competitive spirit. Opting for a non-preachy tone saves the series from boring its young viewers.
Five Six Seven Eight offers some high moments and one of them is when Semba realises how her passion for dance can serve a purpose that would change the life of her close friend.
A few issues in the series could have been dealt with better with more thoughtful writing. There’s a track featuring a secret admirer of Semba. Although it is aimed to be a funny gag, the boy is just one safe step away from becoming a stalker. And it is also unclear if the makers looked into juvenile laws while filming the scenes involving a minor’s arrest and remandment, as they are replete with the exertion of force.
As a whole, the Five Six Seven Eight series has its heart in the right place. Watching the innocence and joyous spirit of these dancing stars is truly energising. I am sure the series will make you want to reach out for your dancing shoes and start grooving.
TV series: Five Six Seven Eight
Director: Vijay, Prasanna JK, Mrudhula Sridharan
Cast: Ditya Sagar Bhande, Nagendra Prasad, Chinni prakash, Vivek Jogdande
Streaming on: Zee5
Rating: 3/5 stars
(This story originally appeared on Cinema Express)
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