Made In India - A Titan Story Review: Naseeruddin Shah-Jim Sarbh Make This Watch Worth Your Time

"Waqt kisi ke liye nahi rukta, par badal sakta hai, usko visionary bolte hain. (Time doesn't stop for anyone, but it can certainly change — that's what visionary is.)"

The very first thought echoed by Robby Grewal's Made in India: A Titan Story plants a seed of endless hope and introduces the journey of one of the greatest revolutionary inventions India has ever witnessed. Inspired by journalist Vinay Kamath's bestselling book Titan: Inside India's Most Successful Consumer Brand, this is the story of Titan's rise - a relentless dream of Xerxes Desai, the maverick who built the groundbreaking enterprise of Titan Watches, 'Made in India', from scratch.

He was steadfastly backed by the legendary leader and mentor JRD Tata, who wanted the world-class craftsmanship associated with Tata to inform the birth of an indigenous Indian watch brand: by Indians, for Indians.

It all began when a Swiss watchmaker provoked JRD Tata, questioning the calibre of Indians and their ability to produce high-end watches.

This six-episode series chronicles the underdog story of India's pioneering effort to cement Titan's legacy. It is nothing short of inspiring and enterprising.

Naseeruddin Shah as JRD Tata and Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai lead this tightly packed series. The supporting cast - Akash Bansal (Vaibhav Tatwawaadi), Namita Dubey (Xerxes's wife - Rajini Desai), Lakshvir Singh Saran (Gaurav Dhar) and Kaveri Seth (Megha Mhatre) - are integral to bringing Titan's legacy to the screen. The narrative cannot be elevated without each contribution; it mirrors how Titan became a milestone in the Indian watch market through collective dedication and teamwork.

Jim Sarbh as Xerxes Desai is a force to be reckoned with. Balancing emotional depth and professional drive in his quest to build Titan, he is a personality whose story needed telling. From the outset, his character arc is aptly established without rushing. Through small changes with big effects and his immersion in the project, Xerxes not only aims to make India's best watch but one of the world's best - making you root for him throughout.

The camaraderie between JRD Tata and Xerxes Desai, and the unwavering faith of a leader in his finest asset, is beautifully rendered by the director. JRD Tata is Xerxes's guiding light while his friend Akash is his sounding board. Together, they create history.

Despite being offered a raise and promotion at the state-owned NBIDC, Xerxes's loyalty to the Tata Group brings him back after a short stint. He sets aside his dream of becoming a professor. On meeting Tata, he is challenged to resurrect Tata Press, which has been running at a loss for seven years. Mostly irretrievable, the press becomes the challenge Desai wants.

As Xerxes joins Tata Press as General Manager, he finds it in complete disarray. Over seven months he tracked revenue, mounting losses and the causes of the press's collapse. The person in charge tells him that Shankar Manohar (Ashwath Bhatt) from the archaeological department promised to preserve scripts found under an Indian scripts project; they saw profit and hoped to save the press, but after taking the order they disappeared, causing extreme losses. Xerxes finally reaches Manohar after many calls to Mumbai. Here the truth unfolds, revealing the catalyst that would propel Desai to introduce the world's first modern quartz watches - battery-run timepieces that would bid farewell to mechanical ones.

Manohar tells Desai about rampant smuggling of imported watches. Everyone aspires to own foreign watches but cannot afford them; smuggled goods flood the market and fuel huge demand. When Xerxes first approaches Tata about a domestic watch, Tata leaves the conversation open-ended. The idea of creating Titan takes shape, whilst JRD Tata witnesses the unmistakable obsession with premium watches, on a trip to London. And then the final nail in the coffin is when the Swiss watchmaker insults India's dedication and precision of watchmaking.

Thus it begins. Over the next five episodes, the director excels at telling the story of ideation, board pitching, design work and the varieties Titan develops. An inception that becomes a phenomenon, all to give India a watch it can be proud to wear.

Another striking element of Made In India: A Titan Story is how the director intersperses vintage footage of Bombay's Chor Bazaar and old streets with retro songs - the right track for the right leap. Songs like Yeh Chaand Sa Roshan Chehra, Main Jhumroo Ban Ke Ghumroo, Yeh Mera Dil to Zindagi Kaisi Yeh Paheli take us back to a bygone era. At one point there's a small tribute to Guru Dutt's Pyaasa when Xerxes cites it to Ravindra (Paresh Ganatara), their watch designer, to explain how contrast in perception can balance tragedy with joyful tunes such as Sar Jo Tera Chakraaye.

The director also juxtaposes real-life photographs of the first Tata store opening with the first watch created and the milestones achieved by the original Titan team, alternating between real and reel to keep the series' flow engaging.

Legacies are never built on easy foundations. Titan faced bureaucratic backlash, government rejections, loan refusals and licensing issues. Yet Xerxes's (Jim Sarbh) vision to create elegant Indian watches that stand the test of time and become lifestyle statements never wavered - probably the key to its success. Even when investors and board members hesitated, the Titan team persisted. In 1984 Titan launched as a joint venture with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

Then came hiring the right professionals for Titan Quartz - a significant move from the outset. They recruited an IIT graduate, Gaurav (Lakshvir Singh Saran) who played a key role in using his expertise for the mechanical aspects of watchmaking in the 1970s and 1980s, a head of marketing, Megha (Kaveri Seth), and targeted key people from their competitor GMT, including head of R&D, head of manufacturing; and other skilled workers. Akash (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) and Gaurav confidently promoted Titan at a GMT party, signalling their ambition to create a lasting legacy. From here things accelerate: Titan hires staff and trains them to understand watch mechanisms and apply them to design and function. After strenuous months of training and production, the first watch is made, which Xerxes proudly presents to JRD Tata - who finally wears a watch of his own.

Trouble returns when Xerxes again crosses paths with the Swiss watchmaker who had earlier belittled India's efforts; the Titan watch gives an incorrect time when asked, causing embarrassment.

The final three episodes of Made In India: A Titan Story showcase highs and lows: initial triumph, subsequent setbacks and the eventual race to recover after everything unravels. Team Titan refuses to give up; Xerxes treats failures as lessons, reinforcing why patience is essential when all seems lost. The team rallies after a major setback when JRD Tata suffers a heart attack; they work round the clock to produce extraordinary new designs. We then learn how unique sub-brands such as Fastrack, Exacta, Royale and Classique emerged under Titan. But progress is often followed by setbacks. Distribution proves difficult; their own store struggles to sell watches. Xerxes, who had promised 20,000 sales in the first month of launch, achieves less than 5% of that target. Once again he confronts internal smuggling and returns to Chor Bazaar, unearthing illogical sales figures.

Amid all this, personal tragedies among key members heavily influence professional dynamics. A business built on shaky foundations invites betrayal. Megha is replaced as head of marketing shortly after marrying Gaurav; Akash feels sidelined from major decisions. Professional discrepancies stem from personal doubts and fear that Titan will fail. The ending, however, compensates: teamwork prevails.

From newspaper advertisements to memorable TV campaigns, Titan reaches every home as Xerxes envisioned. Revenue soars; the music associated with the commercials resonates so deeply that everyone wants the "gaane waali ghadi (The singing watch)." But one wrong move sends everything into crisis and Xerxes has eight months to revive Titan or bid a final farewell. What follows is JRD Tata's unflinching support, urging Xerxes to think the unthinkable and restore Titan to its original glory.

Towards the end we learn that what Xerxes feared had ended Titan's run was, in fact, an illusory belief - a "strategic monopoly," as a former foe later admits to JRD Tata. Those eight months are used efficiently by Xerxes and his team, yielding what becomes The Titan Edge.

The Titan Edge changed thin watchmaking by producing the slimmest commercially made mechanical and quartz movements, allowing the brand's heritage to prevail and soar.

Every cultural and historical nuance of this inspiring story is translated to screen with care. Jim Sarbh is in top form and Naseeruddin Shah as JRD Tata performs with effortless finesse. The supporting cast shows gravitas, leaving a lasting impression. With episodes running almost 50 minutes to an hour, the pace never drags; crisp editing keeps the audience hooked. The final note - Titan acquiring the Swiss brand whose owner once derided what Indians could build - is the cherry on top. Made in India: A Titan Story is, as the series suggests, indeed the "brightest Titan ever" and a fitting homage to an enduring legacy.

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