Mismatched (Season 2)
Introduction
Onto the next release of the weekend and I finished watching the new Hindi series, the second season of Mismatched which is streaming on Netflix. Now many have accused the OTT giant Netflix to back frivolous shows but even amongst those, I had really enjoyed the first season of Mismatched. It had the right ingredients for a frivolous yet breezy Rom-Com but along with it, it also handled the tussle of a modern day relationship amongst the Gen Z crowd really well. So I was really awaiting on how the story would continue in season 2. After a long enough wait, the season 2 of Mismatched did premiere this weekend and here are my two cents on the same.
Story & Screenplay
The second season of Mismatched picks up from the exact same point where season 1 had ended. The story might seem like a typical Rom-Com but what I was interested in was the dynamics between characters while staying true to its theme. Now the second season of various shows are tricky because they often do come with a baggage of the first season. So to reset and reboot while rebuilding the world would be a challenge in itself. And this is something that I was really skeptical about this series in particular. The screenplay could so easily have been dismissed as frivolous but this time the show adds a lot of weight to it by adding meaningful conversations(relatively speaking). Standing at 8 episodes of roughly 30 odd minutes each meant that this season was binge worthy.
The drama though opens on a very shaky note. The start was so wobbly that it made me feel that this show has started to nosedive even before it has even started. Things wern’t gelling well and it did seem like the proceedings wanted to tell too many things at the same time. One of the key aspects which the second season was relying on the audience was the character dynamics based on how season one had ended. And so quite honestly, it did take me a while to warm up to the drama and recall and figure out the character dynamics(given that there were many characters too).
But once I was past the first episode, things began to settle in well. While I thought I would just be going through the motions, the writing definitely took me by surprise. While the character dynamics was in play all along, the writing also did well in showcases the vulnerabilities of Gen Z in the age of social media. In other words, the pressure of social media is such that you always need to be very self aware of your image, wherein a part of you is lost in the process. Even concepts of s*xuality(censoring the word to beat the google algo) were very well showcased and made for some interesting subplots. This while the main tangled romance between the protagonists added to the fun element of the show(and at times relatable too, yes it hurts if you know you know😁). On a side note, the concept of technology used as a backdrop in a Rom-Com setup was quite an interesting idea which was executed well.
I have previously seen in other shows wherein the resolution provided to the conflicts is either simplistic or rather cliched. But here there was a considerable effort made in seamlessly resolving the builtup issues without much fuss. This aspect of the show did seem quite heartfelt in an otherwise frivolous setup. The writing was vibrant and some aspects of it might be relatable to many. I really enjoyed how all the loose ends were tied up at the end, something that many shows are guilty of taking the issues to the next season, and introducing a fresh conflict at the very end which makes for an interesting setup for the third season. Overall, the writing is fresh and quite brilliant here which was quite heartfelt and, did put a smile on my face.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are something which would appeal to Gen Z and I quite enjoyed the balance in the writing here. The music is outstanding and deserves a playlist of its own. The BGM is pretty good as well and blends perfectly with the drama. The cinematography and art design(great use of bright colours in varioys frames) give this show a fresh and a vibrant vibe. Director Akarsh Khurrana does a fabulous job here. I have always been a fan of his work and he definitely delivers a drama which may seem frivolous on the face of it but is quite layered and engaging as you dig deeper.
Performances
The performances are really good here. It was a pleasure watching Jugal Hansraj, Aditi Govitrikar and Ahsaas Channa(particularly excellent) despite a limited screentime. Priya Banerjee as Ayesha is a welcome addition to the show and she delivers a pretty good performance. Sanjana Sarathy as Sanskriti looks pretty and does a good job as well. Dipannita Sharma is very dignified in her performance. Rannvijay Singh as Siddharth is earnest and quite the role model we all need in our lives. Vidya Malavade as Zeenat is the sweetest character of the show and so well portrayed that your empathy always lies with her.
Kritika Bharadwaj as Simran has an interesting track and she does a swell job. Abhinav Sharma as Krish may not be a character you would like instantly but he has a nice little character arc which he does portray with perfection. Devyani Shorey as Namrata delivers quite a heartfelt performance in what was quite a layered character. Muskkaan Jaferi as Celina too had a complex character with many shades and she absolutely hits it out of the park. Taaruk Raina as Anmol is in excellent form and his vulnerability is beautifully explored in the show here.
Vihaan Samat as Harsh is terrific and natural to the core here. Rohit Saraf as Rishi is wonderfully understated and another gentle reminder on what a fine actor he is. Prajakta Koli as Dimple looks cute and is brilliant here in a role where she could express herself very well. All the other actors are splendid.
Conclusion
The second season of Mismatched is light, breezy and a brilliant follow up to the first season. Available on Netflix!
