'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' review: New beginning for an old conversation

For a person outside of America and not plugged into the happenings of the world, The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story provides a great deal of insight about the ongoing conversation regarding racism faced by people in day to day life. I have to admit that before watching the first episode I had no idea what OJ Simpson did for a living or why the case was famous. The Kardashians I knew about, for obvious reasons, and this is something the creators Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski banked on. There are so many like me who have no idea about this story but the sheer value of the Kardashians as a brand and seeing them being played as kids is enough to attract the audience to what could be the most gripping story of 2016.

The release of The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story couldn't have come at a better time. #BlackLivesMatter #OscarsSoWhite #BRITSSoWhite are trending the world over and the case, from the looks of it, deals with the racism, media bias, sexism, and individuality.

The show is not a whodunnit. It puts everything that transpired before the verdict under a microscope, giving us a 20/20 of what happened. For those unaware of the story, like me, what is going to happen next is the key to staying interested in the coming episodes. Alexander and Karaszewski deliver it. The shades of grey in the moral compass of every character involved makes it about real people and is more enticing than finding the culprit.

The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story is Ryan Murphy's departure from the genre of elaborate TV shows like Glee, Scream Queens, and American Horror Story. The similarity with American Horror Story ends with the words 'American' and 'story'. The characters are real and the treatment is matter-of-fact with no melodrama. John Travolta transforms himself into self-indulgent defence lawyer Robert Shapiro. The physical transformation is just as intriguing as the changed accent. Matching him step for step are Sterling K Brown as Christopher Darden and Courtney B Vance as famous defence attorney Johnnie Cochran. These men attract empathy for their characters. There are no theatrics. Sara Paulson delivers another stellar performance in a challenging part of public prosecutor Marcia Clarke. A mother facing sexism at work while dealing with a high-profile case with racial undertones is not an easy job. Paulson nails it. Then there is David Schwimmer. Looking to gain footing as a drama actor after having been in one of the most successful sitcoms, Schwimmer plays the Kardashian patriarch Robert. He is torn between the evidence presented in front of him and his allegiance to OJ Simpson. His emotional Robert Kardashian is the moral centre of the story.

Casting Cuba Gooding Jr as OJ Simpson, I hope was not deliberate. Gooding's career trajectory is similar to Simpson's, barring the infamous incident. They both fell from the top in the pubic eye. Maybe this is why Gooding plays Simpson without judgement, bringing Simpson's internal conflict on screen without a flaw. Gooding's Simpson drives the plot, propelling characters into action.

Based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life, American Crime Story is an account of what people involved in the case saw in it. Every party gets an equal chance to present their account. It's not a murder mystery, it's a tool to start a conversation.

The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story premieres this Monday, February 8 at 10 pm on Star World Premiere HD.