MADE IN HEAVEN: Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's brave and successful attempt on reflecting the society on the screen.

Source: The terrible meme

If the reference of wedding planners sent you in Band Baaja Baarat mode, then you are in for a surprise.  Made In Heaven (MIH) is way polarized.  From the trailer, many people perceived the show to be about rich people and their wedding shenanigans, but the show is way beyond that too.  MIH takes you on a ride to Delhi.  From the rich areas of South Delhi to the cramped-up streets of Dwarka, the show provides a reflection of the good, the bad and the ugly of the weddings, marriages and the society as a whole.  And damn the series succeeds in achieving what it set out to do.  If your expectations from Indian web series were raised by Sacred Games, then finally here is another show to raise those expectations further up.

Created by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, with an ensemble cast of Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora and Shivani Raghuvanshi, MIH explores not only the lives of these characters, but also some social issues pertaining in the society with every episode.  From dowry to adultery, sexual harassment to homophobia, the series tackles very sensitive issues in the most realistic way possible.

Source: Scoopwhoop

Mathur’s character Karan who is openly gay professionally, yet closeted with his parents and Dhulipala’s Character Tara who goes from rags to riches after her marriage, are the founders of a wedding planning company named ‘Made in Heaven’ and their journey through the weddings they organize eventually affect their own lives.  Karan’s character will make you empathize, while Tara will make you love her and hater her at the same time.  Arora’s character Kabir provides the gist of the episode with a message at the end of it.  The character development of all the characters including these as well as Jazz, Faiza and Adil, provides realism and relatability for all its viewers.

Never before has any series created such a realistic environment and characters that MIH does.  All the characters in the series have an integral role to play.  All the guys Karan is with add something important to his story.  Vinay Pathak as the landlord is effective in his portrayal.  With amazing guest performances from stars like Amrita Puri, Vikrant Massey, Manvi Gagroo, Shweta Tripathi, Neena Gupta and Deepti Naval amongst others provide one of the best casting in recent times.

Source: The terrible meme

The USP of the show is the rawness and genuineness of the reactions of the characters in difficult situations.  The scene where the reports come to Karan’s house to get a statement, the way his father responds and comes back and there is just silence on the table, literally shows how any middle-class family would react in such a situation.  Even when a bride marries a tree against his groom’s wishes, secretly just because of society’s superstitions captures the reality of the society as a whole.  Akhtar sets a new benchmark by showing a gay sex scene on screen, and its not in vain, it plays an integral part to the story.  MIH provides a bold statement in the fight for the rights for the LGBTQ community.

Source: The Indian Express

Tara’s character is so layered that at one point you feel sympathy for her, but the next moment you feel she got what she deserved and Dhulipala portrayed this complex character with utmost finesse.  Similarly, Mathur portrays the character of a gay man bounded by the societal norms and living his life in hiding with perfection.  Sarbh as a young businessman strikes a chord with his acting prowess, and shows why he is one of the most critically acclaimed actors of this time.  A mention needs to be made to Arora and Raghuvanshi for portraying the vulnerability of their characters with such perfection that even after not being the central characters, they leave the same mark as all the other characters in the series.

Source: Scroll

The series works not just on the storyline but brilliant writing, direction and performances by the cast.  There is no background music most of the times to influence you how to feel, but you still feel the emotions because of the power of the performances.  In a series with such amazing performances, Mathur shines with an edge over the others, and seems like he finally got what he deserved.  No other series in recent times has been able to reflect the society with such clarity on screen that MIH is able to.  The series might not find appreciation within the audience group that is still not used to seeing reality mirrored on screen, and what some drama here or there.  Even if the series doesn’t get another season, it has done its work already, and has given its niche audience what they deserved.  And it is true, that even after years, MIH will be considered amongst one of the best web series in India.