#MadeInHeaven2Review: Performances, direction, cast make four years' wait worth it
After making us wait for four and a half years, Zoya Akhtar's back with Delhi's wedding season as Made In Heaven returned with Season 2. Released on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, the sequel is worth the wait. Akhtar's team has packed it with lots of glamor, drama, twisted relationships, and new intense issues. Read our review to know why you should watch it.
Can Made In Heaven bounce back from its financial crisis?
After their fancy office was damaged, six months later, Tara (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan (Arjun Mathur) try to bounce back from their new Bungalow office in Old Delhi. Tara's struggling with her divorce while Karan's mom has been diagnosed with cancer. While they both deal with their personal lives, they're joined by Jazz (Shivani Raghuvanshi) and Kabir (Shashank Arora) who explore their chemistry too.
Mona Singh's the best addition to the cast
Apart from Dhulipala, Mathur, Arora, and Raghuvanshi, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Kanmani, and Vijay Raaz have reprised their roles as Adil, Faiza, and Jauhari. Ishwak Singh, Mona Singh, and Trinetra Haldar have joined in as hot chef Raghav, the miser auditor Bulbul, and production designer Meher, respectively. Though each actor and guest appearances have outperformed this season, it's Singh who takes away the cake.
Akhtar and other directors take it up a notch higher
Apart from Akhtar and Reema Kagti, Nitya Mehra, Alankrita Shrivastava, and Neeraj Ghaywan have directed the episodes of Made In Heaven. The directors have chalked out minute details in each episode that are crucial to the plot. The importance given to aesthetics deserves special mention. In Episode 2, a rose kept inside a broken glass jar highlights abuse by the partner, for example.
Expect more and murkier drama
Other than performances, cinematography, and direction, writing is another aspect where the show earns points. The writing seems fresh and also hard-hitting. After exploring topics such as dowry and sexual abuse in the prequel, Season 2 gets deeper with issues like domestic violence and the obsession of Indians with fair skin. At no point will the writing and the dialogues disappoint you.
The problem lies with the length of each episode
One factor that possibly didn't work with me is how long each episode has been timed. Despite being a good watch that includes every bit of an entertainer, Made In Heaven 2 is a tad bit long. Each episode is at least an hour long, with some being a little over an hour. Maybe, the episodes could have been chopped by a few minutes.
No way you can skip it!
Yes, the episodes are longer and the first few episodes focus more on the personal drama of Tara and Karan than wedding-related drama, yet Made In Heaven 2 is worth your time. Mostly, sequels don't turn out to be as good as the original, but that's not the case here. Verdict: 3.5/5 stars. (PS: Watch out for Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Anurag Kashyap's guest appearances.)
