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Made in Heaven - A MasterStroke in Every Aspect of Filmmaking

PUBLISHED DATE : 19/Mar/2019

Made in Heaven - A MasterStroke in Every Aspect of Filmmaking

Made in Heaven - A MasterStroke in Every Aspect of Filmmaking

Suhansid Srikanth

 

Where do I start about? 'Made in Heaven' (streaming on Amazon Prime) is a pinnacle of excellence in every department out there.. every craft.. and is a testimony to the undisputable fact that writing is always the ultimatum.


The series sheds lights on innumerable facets of Indian wedding culture. From patriarchy to parental pressures.. From the bridezilla's obsession for a big fat wedding to the existence of dowry system.. From queer emotions to sex life of elites.. From affairs to dark human emotions.. There is nothing that this series shy away from talking. And the stunning quality about it is, it doesn't judge any of its characters for its choices. 

Every episode deals with one big royal Indian wedding.. designated to different traditions and cultures.. demanding bizarre wishlists and ceremonies. If one bride wants a superstar to dance on their Sangeet.. the other wants a Taylor Swift like music video to be shot as her wedding video. If one involves a forced marriage.. other is about a marriage made out of desire to live in America! On another episode, we see families opting to arrange a marriage for the bride with a tree.. before the actual marriage.

My favorite episode however is third, where two old people come together to start a new life. It addresses the hypocrisy that exists even among educated elite families about second marriages. The marriage happens in a ruined palace. And what a fitting metaphor that is blossoming out of destructions.
 
In one episode, we see a woman (employee of Made in Heaven) getting harassed in the wedding. The episode revolves around the scene. When got to know that the woman has agreed to a compromise of five lakhs, Karan shouts at her. He tells Tara that he can't believe how even you can agree to this despite being a woman. She reverts back in no blink.. 'Yes! I am a woman. And that's why I won't judge her!'. The subtle power that emits out of sequences like this is what makes the series ruthlessly humane and alive.

After coming across all these madness, when you end up on the wedding of a peon's daughter which is also run by 'Made in Heaven' itself.. you sorta feel content within and get what it is all about. When asked, what she needs for her wedding.. the bride reluctantly asks whether she can get a cake on the day like they do in all the weddings. We are equally surprised by this as much as Tara. Without screaming it out of the lungs.. the series effectively emphasise that weddings are for the family and not the society.
 
The series predominantly revolves around 'Made in Heaven', a wedding management company run by Tara Khanna and Karan Mehra. Each episode primally deals with one wedding they handle and the mess and chaos it comes up with. Along with it.. as the story progresses.. we get to know them as not just characters but the sobbing, sulking humans they are as well.
 
The friendship between Tara and Karan is a delight to watch. It is not the cheesy Karan Joharish man - woman friendship. Here, they value each other. They disagree with each other. Yet, at the end of the day, they assure that they are there for each other. When Karan comes out of jail, Tara moves forward to hug him.. and Karan stops her, saying 'I am filthy'. She looks at him with a biting eye, says 'I don't care' and hugs him. This sort of maternal affection that Karan and Tara share together is one of the honest character bonds we have witnessed on screen ever.

If there is one extraordinary achievement that the series can be proud of.. it is its inclusivity. The lead man in the show, Karan Mehra, played by Arjun Mathur, is gay and the show embraces it with all heart. It hardly comes across as a character trait. It is no longer the underwhelming portrayal of a feminine man that comes out of a long lasting misconceived conception that gays are men who acts like women. Here Karan is a man who likes men. It is portrayed as simple as that.
 
There are several beautifully written segments. I was totally blown away by the tenderness with which the entire Karan - Nawab portion has been sketched. They come along all over the narrative as vignettes of a lost high school romance. And the performance is beautifully delicate. Both Arjun Mathur, Vikrant Massey & the boys who play their younger version, deliver the roles with a heartwarming genuineness. It chokes you when Karan wonders by looking at Nawab sleeping like a baby. Karan asks him 'Do you still sleep like that?'. It evokes million chords alive without really saying anything.

The series is an ensemble of superlatively terrific performances. Sobhita Dhulipala is insanely brilliant as Tara. She effortlessly wins in getting hold of the extremes of her character. So is Jim Sarbh.. playing the posh, class-conscious gentleman. A woman who wouldn't care less to resign if she doesn't get the recognition that she deserves.. A closeted landlord who struggles between reality and the emotions.. Jazz, a natural and riotfully lively character who finds it too much at one go when being introduced to the world of money, glam and glitter.. Every single character that you come across leaves an impact.

The production values and technical front are equally topnotch & sets the bar way too high. Directed by four directors.. Nitya Mehra, Zoya Akhtar, Prashant Nair and Alankrita Shrivastava.. the coherence of consistency in the pace and direction of the episodes is strikingly amazing. All credits to the writers behind.. Reema Kagti, Zoya Akhtar and Alankrita Shrivastava. The series is a triumph of writing in every way! 

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