Mismatched

Mismatched, the new Netflix original that has YouTube sensation Prajakta Koli in the prominent role, is trying to go into the dilemmas of its characters. The emotional insecurities, the need for a relationship, etc., are getting etched out through various characters in the larger picture. But somewhere, I felt the canvas was far too small to make us invest emotionally in those characters. Thus you end up acknowledging the struggles of certain characters rather than feeling empathy for them.

Dimple Ahuja, an atypical young girl, goes to a Jaipur college to attend a course that will help her build an app. But her mother, who was obsessed about getting her married by the time she is 20, had some other plans. She allowed Dimple to go to Jaipur, seeing the possibility of an alliance with the Shekhawat family. Rishi Singh Shekhawat approaches her in the college to impress her, but the plan goes wrong. The growth of this relationship during the particular app-making course and the stories of the people around them is what we see in Mismatched.

Mismatched is almost like a beta and compact version of Sex Education. I mean, I was able to see somewhat the same characters in both series’. Towards the 5th and 6th episodes of Mismatched, the series has that highly emotional tone. But somewhere, the Dharma movie like cheesy guessable track starts to pop up along with all the “unique” app ideas and gaming competition coming into the picture. It somewhere felt like a drastic detour from the emotional track that was happening in the backdrop.

The series is directed by Akarsh Khurana and Nipun Dharmadhikari, and it is written by Gazal Dhaliwal. Akarsh Khurana’s last movie was Karwaan, and one can see a similar feel-good texture in the treatment of this teen drama. And that indeed adds a sense of likability to the series. It never feels far too heavy. But the series is only six episodes long, and the average duration of episodes is around 30 minutes. I almost felt that you needed a minimum of two seasons to have an attachment with the characters you see on screen. Dramatic shifts are happening in the story, but it is happening over a tiny period.

The character detailing and the way they have maintained footage for almost all of them is appreciable. Mismatched is a title that applies to more than one couple in the whole story. And there is diversity in those pairings. The same-sex relationship and its visual portrayal felt a lot pleasant in this series, and it never made it look like a stigma. The insecurities of certain characters were a bit too eccentric, which sort of disturbs the rhythm. Akarsh and Nipun are playing with the coolness element of the story to make it a comfortable watch, but somewhere the series slips into the zone of a YouTube sketch.

Even though her complexion looked a bit too tanned in the series to make her look like this girl who hates makeup, Prajakta Koli was an excellent choice to play Dimple. Her portrayal of Dimple has that urban coolness, and the element of ego makes her character grey. Rohit Saraf plays that interesting character who is an outdated lover boy and, at the same time, someone who understands love beyond gender. His inherent naivety helps him in being that character. Devyani Shorey was that likable best friend in the beginning areas, but her dialogue delivery felt stiff in those emotional scenes. Muskkaan Jaferi plays the part of that girl who hides her weakness by faking a tougher outlook. The rest of the student bunch will hopefully get some more space in the coming seasons. Rannvijay Singha, who plays the teacher’s role to the batch, felt like the update you wished to see in Arjun Kapoor as an actor.

Like I already said, Mismatched feels like a series that should have been a bit lengthier. It doesn’t have enough content and conflict to make us feel for any of those characters. The setup part is done in a reasonably engaging way, and I hope once a season 2 gets released, the characters would look more relatable on an emotional level when you binge-watch it.

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