Made in Heaven - an afterthought

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Made in Heaven, a drama series about two wedding planners, focusses on Delhi and its layered classes and the issues that silent domestic issues that plague our country. It is neither melancholic nor apologetic. It is as is It is such a relief to watch protagonists dipped in shades of grey. The story is simple. Two ambitious people run a marriage bureau: Tara Khanna and Karan Mehra. It is a 2020 version of Rishta.com, set in Mumbai. Each episode focusses on the grandeur of marriage, be it grandeur emotions or the pomp and show and camouflaging the societal issues. So, what’s new in this? The screen play, the script is so crisp that you’d root for each character and hope they realise their follies or realise their hidden strength.
Tara Khanna, a lower-middle-class ambitious woman, is married to Adil Khanna, a socialite and an entrepreneur. They have an endearing friendship with Faiza, played splendidly by Kalki Koelchin, but she is not the star of the show. Neither is Jauhari, the plumber-money lender, played adeptly by Vijay Raaz or Vinay Pathak, a perverted landlord. The star of this is Karan Mehra, who is reeling under the shadow of an India going through puberty when it comes to homosexuality: confused and agitated.
But don’t merely fall for their flashy costumes or their story line that you cannot relate with. Peeling each character and their story, is a human that lives among us, with us or within us. The series with only few episodes and endearing characters like Jazz and a monologue by Kabir, the videographer at Made in Heaven, will sink deep into your skin.

Sample a few:

They say, marriages are made in heaven, that they are a sacred union of two souls. But on the ground, the reality is slightly different. Here, your inner spirit takes a back seat to your address. You're either an insider or an outsider.
Everyone here is of the belief that this match is not meant to be. And even as Angad and Aliya circle the sacred fire, all one can hear is "did she marry him for love?" or "did she marry him for the money?" All they can see is that an outsider has clawed her way into the inside. They smile at her but only time will tell if she gets accepted. Until then Welcome to Delhi.

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Can someone tell me why the wedding day is the most important day of a girl’s life? As though nothing else matters. As though their existence has no value if they don’t get married. Why do parents beg, borrow and steal to make sure their daughter is wed in style? This hardship is clearly borne less for the girl and more for the world. Society must see they didn’t skimp when they sent her off. Maybe because once she is gone they will never let her come back.
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We have seen our country go through metamorphosis since the unwanted birth of social media. With it open a confusing bouquet of Secrets-Lies-Betrayal-Justice-Love-Acceptance. And Made in Heaven is a perfect recipe for everyone who is threading the thin line of tradition and progression. Welcome to modern traditions!

Karan and Tara; Image Courtesy: The Wire



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