There’s quite a few absurdist comedy shows and movies out there, and Moonwalk on Jio Cinema is one of them. Set in Rampur, a small town in Uttar Pradesh that is known for thieves and thievery, this show tells us the story of two different kinds of criminals who are hell-bent on winning a ludicrous wager. It also features an aged gangster who has no money to fund his criminal activities. His son meanwhile is busy being a mathematics lecturer in a local college.
Spoilers Ahead
Why was Badan, the gangster, frustrated?
Moonwalk has several characters, and all of them have their own dilemmas. Badan, the aging gangster, was having a hard time carrying out criminal activities as many other gangs had outgrown him in terms of money and stature. Badan was frustrated as his only son, Chhapan, was not interested in taking over his father’s criminal legacy, preferring teaching mathematics to children at college and through private tuition. Chhapan was interested in astronomy as well and was following an celestial event that might change his life.
Father and son do not get along with each other because of their polar opposite interests, and even though Badan tries to involve himself in mathematics and astronomy, he loses his patience quickly. Chhapan, on the other hand, wants to distance himself from his father’s identity, which he claims cost him many job offers in the past. He wanted to accomplish something of his own, and was hoping the celestial event that he was calculating might do the trick.
What were Tarik and Maddy up to?
Tarik was a seasoned thief from Rampur who was now in prison, but his love for Chandni was still strong. She was in love with him, and their long-distance relationship was smooth sailing until Muralidhar Sharma, aka Maddy, walked into her life. Maddy was after Tarik because the latter was the son of his mother’s nemesis. Maddy wanted to steal Chandni from him for this reason and was vocal about it to Tarik.
Chandni seemed like a gold digger as well, who was after Maddy because she assumed he was a sophisticated robber, unlike Tarik. She broke up with Tarik in no time, which left him desperate to win her back. This tug of war was just the beginning as Tarik, with the help of an aging yet legendary thief, Gazab Khan, came to know of Azmat Khan, his daughter. Tarik escaped from jail and began to look for Azmat Khan and, at the same time, was searching for ways to reconcile with Chandni. Since the competition was fierce, Chandni asked both men to rob the most expensive item for her. The value of the stolen object would help Chandni decide on her partner.
How were the mothers involved?
Maddy’s mother, Shahnaz, and Tarik’s mother, Nadara, had worked together as thieves when they were young. Both were rivals and made sure their sons were also pitted against each other. Shahnaz and Nadara robbed a jewelry store, but when the former abandoned her partner, it started the bitter rivalry between two women.
Were Maddy and Tarik successful?
Maddy decided to commit a heist to rob a diamond necklace belonging to the Nizam’s family in Hyderabad. Tarik, on the other hand, with his friend Ismail, located Azmat Khan to deliver a ring to her given by Gazab Khan’s father before his death in jail. He learned of their poverty and general resentment towards their father for abandoning them.
Tarik found a commode made of gold in Azmat’s home, which he assumed was from the Mughal period. He convinced Azmat and his friend Ismail to steal the commode and hoped to earn a good amount by selling it. Azmat was a good dancer and a painter as well; she was seeking a life outside of her home, and stealing the commode with Tarik was one way to do it. Turns out she was keen on such activities, just like her father. Tarik was successful in getting away with the commode, and Maddy stole the diamond necklace successfully too. Both were proud of their achievements until Chandni learned the diamond necklace Maddy robbed was fake.
Tarik began to brag about his commode made of gold and Maddy was dead set on winning the bet since his mother would not let him lose to her rival’s son. He bribed his way into Tarik’s inner circle; his friends Ismail and Shalu switched sides. With their help, Maddy stole the commode made of gold and placed Tarik and Azmat in a coffin.
Did Chhapan Pandey acquire the moon rock?
Chhapan Pandey was a weird character, yet he convinced his father of a celestial event. His calculations helped him figure out where the moon rock would fall. Chhapans’ prediction was right, and he let his father know the real value of the moon rock was over 500 million dollars; they could become a powerful family if they got their hands on it. His father was excited for all the right reasons, but it wouldn’t last long as someone else came to know of their treasure.
Who wanted the moon rock?
Tarik and Azmat were saved by his mother, who wanted to help them and defeat Shahnaz. Nadara was as quirky as Shahnaz, and they wanted to one up each other in the battle their sons had gotten involved in. Tarik, Azmat, and Nadara’s car met with an accident on their way back home. The accident happened near the spot Chhapan was collecting the moon rock, and the three of them overheard the conversation about its value. All of their minds began to churn as they were thieves inherently and wanted to use the opportunity to earn a quick buck. Chhapan stored the moon rock in a truck that was placed in a secure location for obvious reasons.
Who did Chandni finally decide to be with?
Tarik, out of his smugness, decided to let Maddy know about his plan to steal the moon rock. This back and forth between him and Maddy had been going on right from the start, and Tarik taunted his nemesis whenever he could because he wanted to prove his worth. This was an awful manner to express their love and Chandni agreeing to this kind of behavior was bizarre. Tarik stole the moon rock from the secret location and let Maddy know about it as well. Maddy, on the other hand, let him know that the police would recognize him since the place had CCTV cameras. As expected, Tarik was arrested. Maddy was also later arrested by the police for trying to bribe a police officer who tried to stop him. There was a lot of confusion, which eventually led to Chandni having to make a decision.
Tarik was in prison for trying to steal the moon rock, while Maddy was bailed by his mother. He soon attempted to hijack the truck by misleading Chappan and his family. But to his shock, the moon rock had disappeared. By the looks of it, neither Tarik nor Maddy had this object in their possession. At this point the show became senseless with no explanation for what was happening in Rampur and how the characters were just getting away with their crimes. Chandni finally was asked to choose between Tarik and Maddy, and she wholeheartedly chose the latter. Chandni logically should have picked neither, since they had been confusing her and, quite honestly, the audience watching the show were lost. Chandni was angry at both for taking up a task that put her and themselves in danger yet she was by the end willing to choose one of them.
Was Tarik and his mother arrested?
Moonwalk ended with Tarik walking out on Chandni, yet she got livid at him for this move. Chandni seemed like a woman who enjoys attention. She was not happy with him leaving, and it made Chandni realize that she would not see him ever again. Chandni’s mind was all over the place, and she was not sure if she needed Maddy by her side or Tarik. The competition brought out the real versions of the two men she claims to like, yet it ended in a bizarre way.
Tarik’s mother, Nadara, decided to pull up her socks and find evidence against Shahnaz and her son, Maddy. Nadara wanted to finally get her revenge on Shahnaz for abandoning her many years ago, and she wouldn’t let go of this chance. She made Shahnaz confess how she and her son stole the diamond necklace from the auction and recorded the same on her phone to be presented to the police as evidence. This was followed by Maddy’s arrest, as Shahnaz had mentioned his name as well. Nadara and Tarik finally got their revenge on the two people and got away with their own crimes.
Moonwalk was one-sided, and it seems the writers wanted to favor Tarik over Maddy, even though both of them were in the same profession. Their mothers were thieves too, but the lack of shades of gray made Tarik look like the hero. The show ended with Tarik and Azmat going far away in their car and discussing their future as thieves. Azmat herself admitted to wanting to become like her father and had shown some skills as well. It was also revealed that it was Azmat who stole the moon rock from the truck and whisked it away. Tarik was just a decoy to distract the police and Maddy. This was a smart move, but its addition in the plot was a bit too late since it did not make any impact on the story or the character.
Tarik gained the reputation for being smart from this robbery. Azmat could finally break away from the societal norms that expect her to be at home and cooking while she could go out there and prosper. Tarik and Azmat’s partnership was set, but they weren’t aware of another group that might come after them. Chhapan and his father, Badan, had a lot to lose since the moon rock was the only way to financially sustain themselves. The robbery was a trigger point for Chhapan and forced him to change his mind about violence.
Right from the start, Chhapan had been vehemently against his father’s lifestyle as a gang lord. He had convinced his father to change his mind, yet a robbery changed Chhapan forever. He decided to put up a fight against the person who stole the moon rock and wouldn’t mind getting into full-blown fights for it. While Tarik on one side was happy since Maddy was out of the way, he might not expect Chhapan to be going after him in the next season.
