Bada Naam Karenge
Introduction
The concept of marriage is a little different in the Indian subcontinent from the rest of the world. While marriage is an important event that transpires between two consent-seeking individuals, the case is a little different back home. More than the individuals, it is about families bonding on their newfound ties that dictates the ultimate compatibility of relationships. And the premise of the new Hindi show Bada Naam Karenge is no different – two well to-do families come together for an arrange marriage set-up of their respective children Rishabh (Ritik Ghanshani) and Surbhi (Ayesha Kaduskar) respectively. The setting is sedate and driven with values that ultimately results in a conflict of duality – one that the children have known each other in the past, and two, whether the families would agree to their relationship given their emphasis on their individual values system that have been passed on from one generation to the other.
Over the years, Rajshri Productions has created a unique niche of integrating their own value system through the films that they have produced. Be it the playful platonic bond between Prem and Suman in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), or the famous family bond between characters in Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994). Whether it was about respecting your parents in Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999) or families meeting to marry off their daughter Poonam in Vivah (2006). The central theme in each of these outings has been a sedate tone of values that have laced the narrative. Come 2025, the only searing question that I had while venturing into Rajshri’s foray into the webspace was whether these values still hold good. Or alternately, if there is a way to bridge the gap between the ideologies of the younger generations (like me) and the older generation, to actually come to a middle ground of sorts. Incidently, the core conflict of Bada Naam Karenge always follows a similar trajectory that soon transforms itself into a battle of ideologies.
Story & Screenplay
It won’t be wrong to briefly compare the tonal similarities between a TVF show and Bada Naam Karenge (hardly a surprise given that this is directed by Palash Vaswani, the director of Gullak). There is an instant moment of relatability when you are introduced to Rishabh, a young entrepreneur of the Rathi family who aspires to complete his MBA and later foray into the expansion of his family business. Therefore, marriage is hardly on his mind until being coaxed into meeting his bride-to-be Surbhi. The situation for Surbhi is almost similar having been told on discreetly noticing the sinful traits of alcoholism in her to-be husband. But soon you realise that the clash of ideologies is not restricted to the two individuals in questions, but more so their families, particularly with the camera pans to the past that reveals a secret to the viewers – Rishabh and Surbhi have known each other for a couple of years.
The non-linear narrative was a good creative decision to reflect on the contrasting lives of Rishabh and Surbhi – one from the past, and the other closer to home. And this diabolically opposite phases that the narrative oscillates between is also reflective of the clash of ideologies – of having the freedom to express their unfiltered thoughts with each other (within their set of values), and of having to be in full alignment of thoughts with respect to their families. Therefore, the platonic justification of two individuals staying together under one-roof is staged against the backdrop of the pandemic. That in a way is a breath of fresh air too while highlighting the thought process of Gen-Z which unfortunately is also the source of the conflict, firstly between the couple and later the families.
There is a bittersweet streak with respect to the proceedings that often oozes of a feel-good vibe while resolving the smaller conflicts along the way. Another plus point remains the characterization which is on the familiar beats of any Rajshri drama. So you have the Taujis and Taijis, and the Fufas and the samdhans (basically uncles and aunties) as a part of the joint family that grace the narrative. Yet, the underlying themes of the potential conflict and the regressive views of the families are highlighted in some well written scenes. In a scene, you see Priya (Saadhika Syal) having a friendly conversation with Surbhi wherein she reveals of discreetly attending Zumba classes against the knowledge of the prevalent patriarch in the family (or for that matter folks other than her supporting husband). It did say a lot about the rigidity of the family that is further highlighted when Taiji (Alka Amin) exclaims on how it is their family tradition to wear sarees at functions as opposed to the Salwars, or a custom to pack ‘home-made’ sweets instead of ordering from elsewhere. On the other hand, Shekhar (Gyanendra Tripathi), Surbhi’s brother remains a tough nut to crack with his set of ideologies that often tends towards finding flaws in the other family. Or even, Rajesh (Rajesh Tailang), who often has a gripe with his own nephew. It is a typical Rajshri setup – of characters that do not quite have even grey shades yet are key contributers in simple conflicts and simpler resolutions. And I must also admit that the proceedings remained heartfelt.
The tone of the drama remains light and frothy for most parts of the runtime even as the basis of a larger conflict is exchanged between the couple. There is a genuine feeling of warmth in an organic Tier-2 setup that literally traces the days to the eventual D-Day until there is a brief pause. This pause was slightly tending towards melodrama that inunciated the conflict alright, but just went around in circles after a point. The frothy feels were replaced by heavy (or heavier) emotions to only make things soapy in the final act. After a point, I must admit that I did get a little restless even as the multiple slow-mos felt like elongating the drama as opposed to getting to the resolution sooner. This was particularly true in the pre-finale setup that took forever to wrap-up, reducing the show to a soap opera. The thing to keep in mind was that the conflict was simple in the first place, and so the resolution need not have been melodramatic. That aside, the writing does get back on track in a heartfelt finale that was more in line with the rest of the drama. The underlying message was also typical of the transitioning phase of Rajshri – of having a middle ground for both ideologies to thrive on. The screenplay may not be perfect but it definitely contributes to the heartfelt moments in the drama.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are conversational with the particular emphasis being on the pitch of the lines, that felt grounded while never raging above the line of melodrama (even when the drama does get melodramatic at the end). The music has got to be my favourite in recent times. Its title track has a beautiful rendition of longing, warmth and an undying aspiration that blends perfectly with the melody of the drama. The BGM remains sedate too, that thankfully doesn’t tip the drama towards being soapy for most parts of the runtime. In fact, the variants of the title track beautifully stir up a set of emotions that elevate various scenes in the narrative. The cinematography has a wonderfully contrasting theme with its frames. The frames on the past timeline are more intimate and young, that allows the city of Mumbai to play a character, while the frames of the present timeline are more wider and accomodative with the cities of Ujjain and Ratlam playing characters, that collectively highlight the differential spaces with respect to the ideologies. The costumes do keep the character traits into consideration with respect to the ideologies in play – so you will see Surbhi and Rishabh donning modern clothes with a traditional tinge while other characters around them do don tradition attires (some out of compulsion and the others due to their inherent values). And a lot of credit must go to Karishma Sharma for being mindful of these facts.
The editing is good but it surely could have been better while reducing the runtime of the show for a crisper watch. This is particularly true towards the end when the lags in the drama do creep up, while briefly hampering the impact of the emotions in the drama. Director Palash Vaswani does a wonderful job in creating a bittersweet world with heartwarming characters while introducing the conflict of ideologies that makes for a pleasant viewing, overall. He does a pretty good job in maintaining the frothy tone of the drama only briefly stumbling in the finale. Yet, the direction here is also reflective of the transition phase of Rajshri, that effectively accounts for the central theme of the drama. The direction is laced with sensitivity while making its presence felt.
Performances
The performances are wonderful by the members of the cast. Reshham Sahani as Divya has a wonderful screen presence and she leaves a lasting impression. Sachin Viddrrohi as Champak absolutely nails his character that is goofy with a brilliant sense of comic timing. His Indori accent is driven by a meter (in terms of dialogue delivery), that invariably made me chuckle every single time he appeared onscreen. Keshav Mehta as Ankur and Bhavesh Babani as Sumit have their moments to shine. Omm Dubey as Aseem is sincere and earnest with his act. Pratish Mehta is blessed with an immaculate sense of coming timing (remember Pandya vlogs?). Here as Monty, he effectively contributes to the lighter moments of the show that invariably eases out the tone in a very big manner. Priyamvada Kant is such a fine actor who makes her mark despite a limited screen time. As Pakhi, she is understated yet supremely expressive in that one scene wherein she has to confront her husband. She is excellent with her expressions in that scene. Rajesh Jais as Vivek and Chaitrali Lokesh Gupte as Sapna are wonderfully understated and manage to leave a mark.
Gyanendra Tripathi as Shekhar is natural to the core while being a doting brother to Surbhi. The fact that he is reactive in the moment, allows his performance to excel while effectively standing out amongst the crowd. Saadhika Syal and range of expressions are to die for. As Priya, she has a sense of maturity around her, of knowing the dos and the don’ts of her household, even while exuding of a respectful and friendly vibe. She balances her emotions perfectly, while impressively uses her expressions to her advantage. She was a treat to witness here. Rajesh Tailang as Rajesh has a greyish streak that he exploits nicely with his measured performance. Anjana Sukhani as Neeta is a character that had to internalize her pain while making peace with her present. And she uses her expressive eyes to her advantage, while delivering a subtly graceful and a dignified performance. Jameel Khan as Lalit and Deepika Amin as Madhu are a delight to watch. They are contrasting personalities that formulate the character of Surbhi so beautifully, while wonderfully leaving a mark with their respective acts. Kanwaljit Singh as Tauji and Alka Amin as Taiji have a unique distinction of being similar yet opposite characters, given that the latter is never known to go against her husband, even if she were to think otherwise. The former represents the patriarch of the family who is rigid with his ideologies only for a realisation to set in later on. In that regard, he does have an arc to play with and he manages to pull it off with a lot of dignity and grace.
This brings me to the younger couple Rishabh and Surbhi essayed by Ritik Ghanshani and Ayesha Kaduskar respectively. Both represent a younger age demographic with respect to their ideas and characters. Hence, the most important aspect of their dynamics needed to be the chemistry that they would share, given how they are the fulcrum of the drama around which various emotions are played out. And they manage to crack that wonderfully well. I was thoroughly invested in their journeys while rooting for their love story to blossom. And that marked a victory for Ritik and Ayesha, both of whom deliver heartwarming performances that exude of a heartfelt vibe. They do manage to land their respective emotions seamlessly too, thereby making a memorable outing for both of them.
Conclusion
Despite a soapy final act, Bada Naam Karenge beautifully taps into the intricacies of an ideological gap between generations. This, while presenting a heartfelt Old-School Romance that is not only refreshing in times of thrillers, but also is successful in gently tugging the strings of your heart. Just to manage your expectations, this is a Rajshri show that accounts for simple conflicts and simpler resolutions with a tinge of melodrama (which has been its niche over the years). So if this is your genre, it will make for a heartwarming watch. Available on SonyLiv.
