The year 2024 saw a new web series, Showtime, on Disney+ Hotstar. The star-studded show featured the drama that takes place in the film industry. Moreover, it gives a gist of the dark side of the industry and what leads to a lot of scandals and controversies. The web series stars Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajeev Khandelwal, Shriya Saran, Mouni Roy, Vijay Raaz, Vishal Vashishtha, Neeraj Madhav, Denzil Smith, and Lillete Dubey.
The web series’ official synopsis reads, “An epic saga of legacy and ambition, get a glimpse behind the multimillion-dollar industry of Bollywood, nepotism and power struggles at the top.”
Showtime season 1 part 1 recap
Showtime begins with the introduction of Raghu Khanna (played by Emraan Hashmi), the heir of Victory Studios, Bollywood’s biggest production house. While the studios shell out several noteworthy movies, they also produce many films without good plots. When one such action romance movie comes out that does not have a good story, Mahika Nandy, a junior film critic, criticizes it on live TV. This creates havoc at Victory Studios.
Victory Studios is owned by Victor Khanna (played by Naseeruddin Shah). He does not get along with his son, Raghu, and he does not even like the way Raghu runs the studios. As a result, he meets Mahika and then takes away his life. It is later revealed how Victor made Mahika, who is also his granddaughter, the new owner of Victory Studios.
Who is Mahika Nandy?
Mahika Nandy is a young film critic but soon stands up against Raghu Khanna. After taking over the charge of Victory Studios, she recalls how Victor Khanna wanted her to return Bollywood to its long-lost charm. However, Raghu Khanna revolts and establishes his own production house.
While he thinks Mahika would not be able to work up to the audience’s expectations, Deven and her boyfriend, Prithvi, help her take charge. When she learns about the script of 1857, she works hard to make it happen. While she goes to convince the film’s director, Satya, Raghu flies to Armaan Singh’s house to convince him to work with him. Armaan and Raghu had always had a rough spot in their partnership, and it led the film star to side with Mahika. She meets the star and persuades him to work with Victory Studios.
Meanwhile, the viewers also learn that Raghu’s girlfriend, Yasmine, has been seeking an opportunity to become a lead actress and not merely an item dance girl in the industry. However, Raghu takes away the chance from her and gives it to Armaan’s wife, Mandira, for her much-awaited comeback. A shattered Yasmine further learns that she is pregnant with Raghu’s child and hides the truth from him.
What happens to Armaan Singh?
Raghu and Mahika continue to battle in the industry. On the other hand, a jealous Armaan tries to get his co-star fired after director Satya praises her work. Raghu sees an opportunity and casts Meena alongside Mandira in his upcoming female-centric spy movie. Moreover, he also manages to keep his name in the new blockbuster movie, Screw Dheela. However, only Mahika does not struggle at this point. Yasmine also finds it difficult to show up before a huge audience due to her pregnancy.
Showtime part 1 comes to a dramatic end when Armaan Singh falls into a dirty controversy. While he has been married for 25 years, he gets caught getting intimate with one of his former co-stars, Saira. This leads to a huge scandal in the industry, and Victory Studios’ future keeps hanging in the air. This also halts the making of 1857.
Showtime has a total of seven episodes and is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
