WEB SERIES REVIEW: GLORY

REVIEW BY

SUYASH PACHAURI

GLOBAL BOLLYWOOD

DIRECTOR’S DAILY CLAPBOARD

Netflix’s Glory enters the ring with ambition. It is not just a sports drama and not exactly a mystery thriller either. The series tries to stand in the middle of several genres family conflict, revenge, crime, politics and boxing. Directed by Karan Anshuman and Kanishk Varma, Glory tells the story of broken relationships, unresolved anger and emotional scars hidden behind boxing gloves. The idea is powerful because the show is not merely about winning inside a ring; it is about people carrying invisible bruises from their past.

The seven-episode series follows two estranged brothers returning home after a shocking incident involving their sister. What starts as a family tragedy slowly becomes a layered investigation involving power, ego and buried truths. The makers attempt to create an atmosphere where every character carries baggage and every relationship feels fractured.

The strongest thing about Glory is that it rarely feels clean and polished. It chooses dust, sweat and emotional messiness. However, somewhere in trying to become too many things at once, it occasionally loses focus. The punches are hard, but some miss the target.

The show works best when it stays close to human emotions rather than overcomplicating itself with twists. The emotional wounds hit harder than the boxing scenes.

The premise and lead performances carry the series significantly.

Introduction

Sports dramas in India usually travel on a predictable route: struggle, training montage, emotional speech and victory. Glory avoids that route. It uses boxing more like a metaphor. Here, boxing is not the story itself; it becomes the language through which anger, pain and unfinished relationships speak.

Set in a rugged North Indian backdrop, the atmosphere feels lived-in. There are broken homes, local politics, masculine pride and emotional damage hiding behind silence. The show creates a world where people do not openly express love but show it through sacrifice and rage.

The first few episodes establish a gripping tone. The mystery around the central incident creates curiosity. You want answers. You want to understand why these people are emotionally disconnected.

But as the story moves ahead, it begins juggling too many threads at once.

Some subplots feel stretched and a few twists appear more designed for shock than emotional payoff. Still, the emotional core remains intact because of the performances.

Screenplay & Script Sense

The screenplay is where Glory becomes both impressive and frustrating.

The writing deserves appreciation for attempting layered storytelling. Instead of a straightforward sports narrative, the writers create a world filled with emotional complications and secrets. Conversations often carry hidden tension. People rarely say what they truly feel.

However, the problem begins when the narrative tries balancing mystery, revenge, crime, family drama and sports simultaneously.

Several episodes move at an engaging pace while others slow down unexpectedly. Some character journeys feel incomplete. A few emotional moments arrive without enough buildup.

There are scenes that genuinely stay with you because they feel raw and authentic. Then there are moments where the writing becomes too convenient.

The emotional scenes generally work far better than investigative portions.

The series has ambition, and ambition deserves respect. But tighter writing could have transformed Glory into something unforgettable.

Critics and audience discussions similarly noted uneven execution and pacing issues despite an engaging setup.

Direction

Karan Anshuman and Kanishk Varma understand mood extremely well.

They successfully create a world filled with tension. The show visually carries heaviness. Even ordinary scenes have emotional discomfort hiding beneath them.

The directors avoid making boxing feel glamorous. The rings feel rough, painful and physically exhausting.

Their handling of family drama is stronger than mystery portions. Small silences between characters often say more than dialogues.

Where direction slightly struggles is maintaining tonal consistency. The show occasionally jumps between emotional intensity and thriller elements in ways that feel uneven.

Still, credit goes to the directors for creating a realistic atmosphere and avoiding excessive melodrama.

The series feels grounded despite occasional storytelling excesses.

Acting

Divyenndu

Divyenndu once again proves why he remains one of the most naturally watchable performers today. As Dev, he brings unpredictability. His performance feels effortless because he never appears to be acting. He brings vulnerability, sarcasm, emotional damage and suppressed anger beautifully together. Even in scenes where little happens, he keeps your attention. Several moments entirely belong to him.Among all performances, Divyenndu leaves the strongest impact. Audience discussions frequently highlighted him as the standout performer.

Pulkit Samrat

Pulkit Samrat surprises positively. This may genuinely be among his better performances.

Physically he looks convincing inside the boxing world. More importantly, emotionally he feels sincere. His character carries emotional burden and internal conflict, and Pulkit handles both with restraint. At times his emotional scenes could have carried slightly greater depth, but overall he performs strongly. His transformation for the role involved intense boxing preparation.

Suvinder Vicky

Suvinder Vicky again reminds audiences why screen presence matters.

He does not overperform. He simply exists within scenes with authority.

His portrayal of Raghubir carries emotional complexity. You dislike him, sympathize with him and question him simultaneously. That balance is difficult. He delivers it brilliantly.

Ashutosh Rana

Ashutosh Rana knows exactly how to dominate scenes. Without loud theatrics he creates intimidation. His experience reflects in every expression.

Even when his screen time becomes limited, he adds weight.

Sayani Gupta

Sayani Gupta delivers a controlled performance. She avoids unnecessary dramatic energy and keeps things grounded. Though the writing gives her limited emotional depth, she performs sincerely.

Jannat Zubair Rahmani

Jannat Zubair carries emotional innocence effectively. Her role drives major events despite not dominating screen time. She leaves emotional impact.

Supporting performances

Sikandar Kher, Zakir Hussain, Vishal Vashishtha, Kashmira Pardeshi, Yashpal Sharma, Kunal Thakur, Tanisha Sharma and Yugam Sood all contribute sincerely. Not every character receives full development, but nobody feels out of place. The cast list and character setup support the central family conflict effectively. The supporting cast strengthens realism. Nobody appears artificially inserted. Characters feel like they belong to this rough environment. However, some supporting characters deserved deeper exploration. A few arcs start strongly but fade midway. The potential was greater.

Cinematography

John Schmidt's cinematography deserves applause. The camera captures sweat, pain and emotional tension effectively. Boxing sequences feel physically exhausting rather than stylised. Dusty roads, local environments and dark interiors help create mood. The visual texture adds authenticity. Many frames feel gritty and immersive. Several viewers also appreciated the visual atmosphere and production design.

Music & Background Score

The music remains understated. Instead of dominating scenes, it supports emotional beats.

The background score works particularly well during tense sequences. However, there are very few memorable musical moments that stay after episodes end. Functional rather than unforgettable.

Editing

Editing remains mixed. Some episodes flow tightly. Others feel stretched. A few scenes continue longer than necessary. Certain subplots could have been trimmed. The finale also feels slightly overloaded. Sharper editing would have elevated momentum significantly.

Final Verdict

Glory is not a perfect knockout. But it remains an engaging watch because of its performances and emotional intensity. It succeeds more as a family drama than a sports thriller. The boxing ring here is less about sport and more about emotional warfare. The show swings hard. Some punches land beautifully. Others lose force before impact. Still, thanks to Divyenndu, Suvinder Vicky and a committed ensemble, Glory remains worth entering the ring for.

On the Plus Side

• Strong lead performances

• Divyenndu steals multiple scenes

• Effective emotional tension

• Gritty atmosphere

• Realistic visual treatment

• Strong family drama portions

On the Minus Side

• Uneven screenplay

• Predictable moments

• Some unnecessary subplots

• Pacing issues midway

• Certain character arcs remain incomplete

One Liner

A gritty boxing saga packed with family wounds, revenge, power games and emotional punche but not every blow lands with knockout impact.

REVIEW BY

SUYASH PACHAURI

GLOBAL BOLLYWOOD

DIRECTOR’S DAILY CLAPBOARD