‘Aarya’ Review: Sushmita Shines in a Show That Struggles With Pace

The biggest pull of Aarya, streaming on Disney+Hotstar, will have to be Sushmita Sen. Forever etched in our memories as Miss Universe in her crowning glory, Sushmita plays the eponymous character around whom the story unfolds. Based on the Dutch series Penoza, it has been created for the Indian audience by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi. Madhvani, who has also directed the series along with Sandeep Modi and Vinod Rawat, has a knack of scooping out performances and playing to his actors’ strengths. Sonam Kapoor in Neerja is proof . Here, too, the strong and confidant woman sits pretty on Sushmita’s well-toned shoulders. The first time we see her, the actor is immersed in aerial yoga . In fact, in the first episode, Sushmita seems to have come out of her own Instagram account. Her yoga videos, the perfectly turned-out glam avatar, those arched eyebrows as she enunciates each word - its like watching Sushmita play herself as she seamlessly merges with Aarya. It is a Sushmita show and she doesn’t disappoint. Tune in for the full review! VO: RJ Stutee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices