Politics in India usually gets simplified into shouting matches on news channels. But then comes a show like the City of Dreams web series, and suddenly, the messy, backstabbing reality of power feels a lot more personal. It’s not just about who sits on the throne; it's about what happens to a family when that throne becomes more important than blood. Honestly, Nagesh Kukunoor managed to capture something specifically grim about Mumbai’s political underbelly that most big-budget Bollywood films miss entirely.
The story kicks off with an assassination attempt on Gaikwad, a polarizing but powerful figure. It’s a classic hook. But the show doesn’t just stay a "whodunnit." It turns into a "who-keeps-it."
The Power Struggle That Actually Feels Real
The core of the City of Dreams web series isn't the bullets or the rallies. It is the friction between Ashish and Poornima Gaikwad. You have a brother who feels entitled to power because, well, he’s the son. Then you have the daughter, Poornima, played with a sort of terrifying stillness by Priya Bapat, who is actually competent. It’s a bit like Succession but with more humid Mumbai streets and higher stakes.
The sibling rivalry is where the show finds its heartbeat.
Eijaz Khan plays Wasim Khan, and let's be real, he steals almost every scene he's in. He’s a cop caught in the middle. Not a "super cop." Not a "Singham" type. He’s a guy who’s tired. He’s seen too much. His character provides the ground-level perspective of how these high-level political games actually ruin lives for people who aren't even playing.
Most political dramas make the mistake of making everyone a genius. In this show, people make mistakes. They get emotional. They act out of spite. That’s what makes it feel human.
Why Poornima Gaikwad is the MVP
If you haven’t watched it yet, watch it for Poornima. In Season 1, she’s the underdog. By Season 2 and 3, she’s a force. Her evolution from a woman sidelined by her father’s patriarchy to a leader who makes the hard calls is one of the best character arcs in recent Indian streaming. Atul Kulkarni, playing the patriarch Ameya Rao Gaikwad, is predictably brilliant. He manages to look both fragile and incredibly dangerous at the same time.
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It’s about the cost of ambition.
Poornima has to decide if she wants to be a good person or a good politician. She rarely gets to be both. That’s the tragedy.
Production Value and the Mumbai Aesthetic
The City of Dreams web series looks expensive, but not in a flashy way. It looks lived-in. You see the contrast between the sprawling mansions and the claustrophobic corridors of the Secretariat. Kukunoor, who we all remember from Iqbal and Dor, brings a certain cinematic patience to the pacing. It’s a slow burn. If you’re looking for Michael Bay explosions every five minutes, you might get bored. But if you like watching a plan come together over three episodes, this is your jam.
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The sound design is subtle. The background score doesn't scream "BE EXCITED NOW" during the twists. It lets the dialogue do the heavy lifting. And the dialogue is sharp. It’s that heavy, Marathi-inflected Hindi that feels authentic to the Mumbai political scene.
Season 3 and the Expansion of the Universe
By the time the third season rolled around in 2023, the stakes had moved beyond just the Gaikwad family. It started looking at the state-level machinery. We saw more of the internal workings of the "Party."
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- The introduction of new rivals.
- The shifting loyalties of the old guard.
- How social media is used as a weapon in modern Indian elections.
The show did a great job of showing how "fake news" and digital PR have replaced traditional muscle power in the quest for votes. It’s a terrifyingly accurate reflection of what we see on our Twitter—well, X—feeds every day.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Show
People often compare it to Sarkar or Raajneeti. That’s a mistake. Those are movies about "Great Men." The City of Dreams web series is a show about a broken system.
It’s not trying to tell you that one side is better than the other. It’s telling you that the game itself is rigged. Even the "heroes" have to do terrible things to stay alive. Wasim Khan’s arc across the seasons is a perfect example of this. He starts as someone trying to do his job and ends up realizing that his job is just to facilitate whoever is currently winning. It's cynical. It's dark. But it's honest.
A lot of viewers complained that Season 2 was slower than Season 1. I’d argue it was deeper. It explored the trauma of the characters rather than just the plot. Poornima’s grief and her struggle to balance motherhood with a state ministry is something you don't see often in "tough" political dramas.
Key Characters You Need to Watch
- Ameya Rao Gaikwad: The aging lion. He’s the anchor of the show.
- Poornima Gaikwad: The real protagonist. Cold, calculated, but deeply hurt.
- Wasim Khan: The moral compass that keeps spinning because the magnetic field is too strong.
- Jiten Kadam: A reminder that in politics, the loyalist is often the first one to be sacrificed.
The Reality of Political Dynasties
Let’s be honest. India loves a dynasty. Whether it's in movies or in the Mantralaya, we are obsessed with who is "next in line." This show dissects that obsession. It asks a very simple, very uncomfortable question: Does being born into a family give you the right to lead a million people?
The show doesn’t give you a straight answer. Instead, it shows you the wreckage that this mindset creates.
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The City of Dreams web series succeeds because it treats its audience like adults. It assumes you know how the world works. It doesn't over-explain the politics. It shows you a bribe, it shows you a threat, and it moves on.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Watch
If you are planning to binge the City of Dreams web series, here is how to get the most out of it without getting lost in the subplots.
Pay attention to the background characters. The secretaries, the drivers, and the low-level party workers often drop the most important information. The show uses them to foreshadow big betrayals.
Watch it in the original Hindi/Marathi audio. Even if you need subtitles, the performances are much better when you hear the original cadence of the actors. The dubbed versions lose a lot of the "Mumbaikar" grit.
Don't expect a happy ending. This isn't that kind of show. It’s a tragedy in slow motion. The "wins" usually come at a massive moral cost.
If you’ve already finished it, go back and re-watch the first episode of Season 1 after finishing Season 3. The transformation of Poornima is staggering when you see the "before" and "after" back-to-back. It’s a masterclass in character development by Priya Bapat.
The show is currently available on Disney+ Hotstar. It’s three seasons long. About 30 episodes in total. Each one is roughly 40 to 50 minutes. It’s a commitment, but for anyone who likes their drama with a side of harsh reality, it’s mandatory viewing.
The next step for any fan is to look into the real-world parallels. While the Gaikwads are fictional, the dynamics of Maharashtra politics—the shifting alliances, the resort politics, the family splits—are very much inspired by the headlines we’ve seen over the last decade. Understanding the real-world context makes the show twice as interesting. Look up the history of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly shifts from 2019 onwards; you'll see where the writers got their best ideas.