The dramatic events of Made in Heaven Season 2 begin just after the Season 1 conclusion. The progression appears natural: Faiza (Kalki Koechlin) is becoming closer to Adil (Jim Sarbh), Jauhari (Vijay Raaz) has obtained a controlling stake in the wedding planning business, and Karan (Arjun Mathur) and Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) are now flatmates. But the episodic wedding concept doesn’t feel natural. (Read our review of Made in Heaven season one.)
No two weddings are the same regarding appearance, noise, and sights. Or even the problems that are plaguing upcoming marriages, that matter. However, starting a fresh problem in every episode and rushing to resolve it within an hour begins to feel more forced than natural. The color of the bride’s skin, domestic violence, polygamy, and parental opposition to coming out are prevalent issues that deserve attention, but not to the extent that a character brings up statistics about fairness creams, a Muslim wife decides to fight polygamy in court, or a wife tells her husband that he cannot make decisions for his adult wife and daughter.
Made in Heaven Season 2 Twist
The drama works better when the struggle centers on the more straightforward flaws in love. For instance, the idea of Neeraj’s episode, in which real-life couple Samir Soni and Neelam Kothari play lovers while being married to different people and arranging their children’s weddings together, is already entertaining. They meet secretly across the royal wedding venue, acting like young friends in love at first sight. Their discussion about eloping from their children’s wedding strikes me as the cutest love story ever.
Or in the Zoya and Reema-directed series finale, when the boyfriend is prepared to quit his job to marry and care for his expectant girlfriend. Gender relations are masterfully subverted to further a larger objective. Even in the magnificent episode that Zoya and Reema filmed, which had a French setting, the marriage of two Bollywood stars for aesthetic reasons seems more plausible. Even though the artists may be getting married for fame, many other people are inspired by their happy endings.
The relationship between Jim and Kalki also follows a very natural course in Season 2, and the two still have a smoldering connection. On the other side, the Kabir-Jazz dynamic between Shivani Raghuvanshi and Shashank Arora functions as an enjoyable, competitive game of snakes and ladders. Thankfully, beyond Shashank’s purposefully evasive responses and his well-produced monologues, we learn more about Kabir. However, aside from Ishwak Singh, it’s the new characters who stand out. Trinetra Haldar and Mona Singh should each have their spin-off series. Powerhouse actor Mona can glean gold from a well-written character like Bulbul.