While we are in the middle of the web series revolution in India, we welcome another show ‘Made In Heaven’ in our bedrooms. Coming from the Excel stable, it’s sensational, at times frivolous, but still makes for a compelling watch. On top of it, Made In Heaven slips in important messages quite effortlessly.
It follows the template of the best web shows and has the imprint of its creators Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar, Nitya Mehra, Farhan Akhtar.
Made In Heaven deals with two wedding planners Tara Khanna (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan Mehra (Arjun Mathur) who are the proprietors of the wedding planning agency based out of South Delhi. The stories are a melting pot of characters who are pretentious, floosie, show-offy and would do anything to present their children with the perfect marriages. Not right partners, but yes, the perfectly planned marriages.
The wedding planning agency is reeling under debt but the duo is extremely ambitious in nature and takes up any challenge that comes their way. Be it a PR nightmare to a runaway bride, Tara and Karan double up as therapists if need be.
The central storyline is following the journey of two conflicted, morally ambiguous friends to different weddings they organise. During their planning campaigns, they meet people who have been criminals, philanthropists, contractors, erstwhile kings and typically empowered women who have been fighting their inner demons and patriarchy at the same time. Not to forget, how Tara and Karan have demons of their own as well.
They battle it out as every episode takes you back on a flashback to how it all began for Tara and Karan. A lot of people wonder if Tara and Karan would end up together, but I shall refrain from giving any spoilers. In this show, there are no villains, there are no bad people, only regular people with flaws who are navigating their way through life.
There is laughter, there is a comedy, there are tears and there are those hair-pulling moments, but don’t we all have those?
One of my grouses with Indian television was how they always made ‘likeable’ or ‘hateable’ characters. This show erases the line between ‘likeable’ and ‘hateable’. You don’t have a hero or a villain, you just have regular people who seem to be difficult to be liked. But can you blame them? ?No, because that’s how life is supposed to be. Marriage isn’t perfect and Made In Heaven doesn’t imply that either. What it does show, is asking the question to yourself. Is this what you want? What do I seek in a partner?
While the show isn’t a masterpiece, the characters have been beautifully written even the subordinate ones. Be it Shashank Arora as the cameraman, or Shivani Raghuvanshi as the ditzy girl from Dwarka.
This is the South Delhi you’ve never been able to see from behind the huge walls. These buildings have private swimming pools, really big meeting halls and an army of helpers. The friction begins when the inhabitants go out on their work. There, they encounter their shallow selves, nemesis and urban poverty in its most bizarre form.
Kalki Koechlin has a surprising role and we would want you to watch it for yourself before we let you on any information about her. Vinay Pathak too will surprise you in ways you cannot imagine. It is a much-needed break from the other shows that are heavy and running on other OTT platforms. But, with this show, Amazon has certainly put another feather to their hat. So what are you waiting for? Binge watch Made In Heaven, this very weekend.
