Tooth Pari review: Love powers this vampire saga

A host of interesting characters, played by competent actors, become part of their love story and the obstacles they encounter. Revathy grabs the audience’s attention as Luna Luka, a modern-day Wicca on a mission to rid the city of vampires, while Sikander Kher as the alcoholic cop Kartik, who is investigating a ‘fang’ that he found, makes an interesting addition to the cast. In the world of ‘Neeche’ inhabits Meera (Tillotama Shome), an undead Kathak dancer with a penchant for shayari; and giving her company is David (Saswata Chatterjee). There is Adil Hussain as AD trying to control the vampires and take advantage of them to make money. The show’s refreshing casting (by Shruti Mahajan) complements the vibe of the series which takes it slow and lets the drama unfold gently. The show, in fact, hardly resorts to high-drama. Even the bite of vampires doesn’t look dreadful.

Revathy, with her riveting performance, goes on to prove that writers need to think out-of-the-box to bring out the yet unforeseen aspect of ‘senior’ female actors. Shome, as expected, is fabulous as an artiste who harbours romantic notions about life. Or, as David calls her “poetry in motion”. But it is the lead pair, Maheshwari and Maniktala, who steal the show as they lose their heart to each other. After getting noticed in Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), Maheshwari delivers an endearing performance as a dentist who faints at the sight of blood and is unfailingly gentle. Maniktala’s Rumi grows fiercely protective of him though that doesn’t stop her from gently mocking him occasionally. What works to her advantage as the self-assured vampire are her expressive eyes.

The best part of Tooth Pari is the attempt to upturn the traditional notions. It goes for subtle gender role reversal as well as prods the characters to follow their dream without sounding preachy. It is Rumi, who assures Roy that she would protect him. While at it, the show also touches upon the ‘premium’ attached to ‘virginity’ — this time, however, it is that of a man — and the stigma around physical intimacy. Tooth Pari also tries to humanise the monsters, who are often categorised as “bhoot-pisach”, and underlines the need for humanity.

In recent years, Aditya Vikram Sengupta has showcased Kolkata strikingly and differently in his movies — such as Asha Jaoar Majhe, (2014), Jonaki (2018) and Once Upon a Time in Calcutta (2021) — than what’s often captured in mainstream movies. Tooth Pari comes close to that. It makes use of the city’s unique architecture and landscape. Look out for the scenes at a metro station which is similar to that of wizardry students catching the Hogwarts Express. One particular scene, presumably a tribute, is a strong reminder of Satyajit Ray’s Devi (1960).

These influences come together delightfully in the script (written by Dasgupta, Sambit Mishra and Nandini Gupta) that pays attention to developing the arc of the prominent characters and adding details. The dialogues (by Roopal Kewalya, Shruti Madan and Dasgupta) — mostly a mix of English, Hindi and Bengali — work. There are certain lines which could have sounded cheesy had it not been handled expertly. For example, when Shome tells a guy called Badshah who has been renamed as Shah: “Be a good Shah, Badshah.”

The series ends with enough hints that a second season is in the offing and its blood-guzzling characters will be back for more human encounters.

Tooth Pari When Love Bites director: Pratim D Gupta
Tooth Pari When Love Bites cast: Tanya Maniktala, Shantanu Maheshwari, Revathy, Tillotama Shome, Saswata Chatterjee and Sikander Kher