Web Review: Mismatched 3 takes its title too seriously

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First things first. Much like Dhan Daulat (1980), Love Story (1981) and a few more films, Mismatched 3 does not mention a director anywhere. Clearly a first for any web series, this one’s a lucid case of a producer not seeing eye-to-eye with his director(s), and since he cannot helm a story, I wonder who (all) did!

And as we come to realize soon, each of the tedious (even the first few, which are less than 25 minutes long!) episodes (of 8!) end, we are informed that five writers have worked on the “story” that has been adapted from a 2017 novel about two Indian kids based in the US!

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Well, this one’s located in Jaipur with sub-centres in Ambala, Hyderabad and finally Mumbai where it all climaxes. And this is not just a case of too many writer cooks spoiling the story and script broth but of a frazzled and addled plot where the only intention seems to be living up to the title and thus ending up as a “mismatch” for most viewers.

Now, there are serious issues being dealt with for sure. The star-crossed, seemingly pre-destined lovebirds, Dimple (Prajakta Koli) and Rishi (Rohit Saraf) keep having problems galore in their love, personal and professional lives, and after Dimple’s father dies, there is even an engagement ceremony for them that is done at the behest of Dimple’s mom (Kshitee Jog, astute in her silly role) so that she can be secure about her beti’s future—in case she pops off, see? As if marriage is all there is in life.

The ceremony is not attended by Rohit’s supportive grandma (Suhasini Mulay had no dates / was not paid enough / had no inclination), but soon, a mentally shattered Dimple even makes an App that replicates dad’s voice through AI. And in the end, Dimple and Rishi go their separate personal ways, wanting to return to each other in the next (proposed) season, as a totally melody-less background song informs us.

Well, the other love stories are equally at loggerheads or tangents. Sid a.k.a. Professor Siddharth Sinha (Rannvijay Singha) plays all of Zeenat (Vidya Malavade)’s love interest, Nandini (Dipannita Sharma)’s ex-husband and Dimple’s father-figure who continues to call Dimple by her surname Ahuja in a most irritating fashion like a British professor. He even marries Zeenat, rejects her desire to adopt a baby, and helps out Nandini at a crucial juncture, only to face ingratitude from Nandita. And Zeenat affectionately (!!) leaves him as she does not want to live life sans a kid.

Anmol (Taaruk Raina), bound to a wheelchair after an accident, feels that Karma is more than a bitch when his girlfriend Vinny (Ahasaas Channa) leaves him after he screams at her to do so (in anger) and regrets at leisure. Finally, Celina (Muskkaan Jafferi) cannot decide her sexuality and when she does, she is hurt by Rith (Lauren Robinson), a new student who has some ulterior motives in the AI universe and does nasty things, though she later regrets them.

Then there is Aalif (Akshat Singh), who has a soft corner for Anuradha (Garima Yajnik), who of course cannot look at the obese young man as a boyfriend (though not because of his weight). She likes Rishi, but to no avail.

Finally, we have Dimple’s ex, Harsh (Vihaan Samaat), who now lives in the US and calls her up on Zoom at what turns out to be the right time.

Amidst all these characters and their personal interplays and friendships, and a vital AI competition to boot, it will take incredible writing and directing talent to focus on a gripping story that will address all issues that come in: sexual, pertaining to friendships and relationships, adoptions, late age marriages, deaths of loved ones, trolling, gender issues and many more. And this series does not have them!

The performances are sincere, though I wish Rohit Saraf improved upon his constant hangdog looks and delivery of lines (which was even seen in his debut movie, Ishq Vishk Rebound last year) and Vidya Malavade also did not come across as too pitiable for even her character. Lauren Robinson makes herself correctly obnoxious but cannot score when she tries to show the vulnerable side of her persona. Rannvijay Singha scores with his cool demeanour. For me, the best in the mess are Taaruk Raina as Anmol, Abhinav Sharma as Krish Katyal and, of course, Prajakta Koli as Dimple.

The music is pathetic in the name of modernity. The lyrics are atrocious too. So at least between the verse and the tunes, there is no (qualitative) mismatch!

Rating: *1/2

Netflix presents RSVP’s Mismatched 3  Produced by: Ronnie Screwvala  Written by: Sandhya Menon, Gazal Dhariwal, Aarsh Vora, Nandini Gupta, Akshay Jhunjhunwala & Sunayana Kumari Music: Anurag Saikia  Starring: Prajakta Koli, Rohit Saraf, Taaruk Raina, Muskkaan Jafferi, Abhinav Sharma, Dipannita Sharma, Rannvijay Singha, Garima Yajnik, Kshitee Jog, Jatin Sial, Vidya Malavade, Vihaan Samat, Aditi Govitriker, Jugal Hansraj, Digvijay Sawant, Ahsaas Channa, Lauren Robinson, Akshat Singh & others

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