I've done a review of the whole series but I thought I'd do an additional one under the first episode in order to possibly save people of the ordeal of wasting hours of their lives watching this.
This is possibly the most overrated and overhyped series I've ever come across. It is beautifully filmed, wonderfully acted, with a great background in Mumbai, and thoroughly, completely, frustratingly, and agonizingly unwatchable. Why? Because it's almost impossible to follow what is going on. If you speak Hindi, then perhaps it makes sense. If you have a good knowledge of India and understand Indian modern history, then just maybe, maybe it would make an inkling of sense. But otherwise? No. Don't waste your time.
This series is based on a 900 page novel and whoever was responsible for trying to compress 900 pages into a mini-series of 8 parts faced a near impossible task and has failed in the undertaking. Scenes seem to jump randomly and have at times to bearing on what has come before or what comes later. We were left thoroughly confused and totally disappointed.
By episode 5, we were ready to give up but decided that with only 3 episodes left we'd watch to the end. HUGE mistake for two reasons: 1) it only got worse. and 2) and get this because it is the key point I want to make here:
THIS IS ONLY SERIES 1 AND THE SERIES ENDS WITH A CLIFFHANGER WITH A FURTHER 8 EPISODES NEXT YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON.
Please, please don't waste your time. It really isn't worth the agony of having to endure this. Episode 1 may tempt you in because it is admittedly very well done; episode 2 may entice too but it's all like an addictive drug. Get hooked on it and you may not be able to stop even though you know is all absolute garbage.