'Bada Naam Karenge' review—Sooraj Barjatya's show is entertaining and heartwarming
What's the story
Sooraj Barjatya's Bada Naam Karenge, now streaming on SonyLIV, marks his debut in the OTT world.
Directed by Palash Vaswani and starring several experienced artists such as Rajesh Tailang, Kanwaljit Singh, and Jameel Khan, it brims with the same factors that made Rajshri Productions such an inimitable household name.
It's heartwarming, funny, and consistently gripping despite a predictable storyline.
Story
A young, soon-to-be-married couple, and their challenges
The nine-episode series follows a young couple Surbhi (Ayesha Kaduskar) and Rishabh (Ritik Ghanshani).
They meet in an arranged marriage setup, their families like each other, and everything seems fantastic and hunky-dory.
Until it isn't.
Rishabh and Surbhi's shared past catches up to them, creating problems one after the other, threatening to break apart their union.
Will they eventually end up together?
#1
It will always keep you hooked
The most striking aspect of Bada Naam Karenge is that it's consistently entertaining and seems different from the usual content dominating the OTT space today.
Calm, soothing, and unhurried, it takes time to establish each character, and as the episodes roll by, you can sense that the characters are gradually maturing, too.
It's this relatability factor that makes Bada Naam Karenge so binge-worthy.
#2
Some characters are unbelievably realistic
The detailing behind each character reflects the makers' attention to detail and the time spent in the writing stage.
Tailang, who plays Rishabh's uncle, is a quintessential, sadistic relative who thrives on family fights, and Neeta, his wife (played by Anjana Sukhani) is shunned and turned into an "example" because she dared to love.
The show aptly mirrors real life in several similar ways.
#3
How the backdrop of the lockdown helps the show
Bada Naam Karenge effectively uses the COVID-19 lockdown period as a backdrop for Rishabh and Surbhi's love story, which comes across as authentic and grounded (the dialogues really uplift their scenes).
While being cooped up in the same house, they grow closer, and later, it's this same distance caused by the lockdown that eventually (and somewhat predictably) makes the hearts grow fonder.
#4
Comments on the toxicity in homes
Though the show doesn't go all out with its criticism of the toxicity that runs rampant in Indian homes in the name of tradition, it ventures into this territory every now and then.
It has some interesting ideas about how parents can unknowingly turn toxic, and how a family's "honor" must not be so fragile that it crumbles due to their children's actions.
#5
Areas where the show could have been better
However, despite the entertainment and acting prowess on display, Bada Naam Karenge leaves much to be desired.
My biggest gripe is how the female characters here are relegated mostly to the sidelines, and while we see the men making all the important decisions, women aren't given similar agency.
The show had the chance to flip this age-old narrative but doesn't act upon it.
#6
Leaves some loose ends in a few scenes
Another issue is how the show introduces some sub-plots but then doesn't complete them.
For instance, we see some scenes about Rishabh's professional challenges but the show doesn't dedicate much screentime to it.
Similarly, we are told Surbhi is studying microbiology, but we hardly ever see her study or pursue an internship.
Moreover, the final resolution is too cliché, convenient, and sudden.
Verdict
Despite some issues, it's always entertaining; 3/5 stars
For the most part, Bada Naam Karenge has the same kind of freshness found in some of India's best shows, like Gullak or Panchayat.
It is heartfelt, gripping, and benefits a lot from the strength of its ensemble cast, and since nearly every episode ends with a cliffhanger, you're encouraged to keep watching.
It's far from perfect, but an entertaining watch nonetheless.
3/5 stars.