Made In Heaven (2019) TV show review | Amazon’s masterstroke against Netflix.

“In New Delhi, we all wake up wondering, if what heaven planned for us will happen today.”

Amazon started its Indian web television series conquest with the successful shows Inside Edge, Breathe and recently released female centric Four More Shots Please! Following this up, comes another drama which very much serves for the wide audience spectrum – Made In Heaven.

The show’s title, Made In Heaven is a wedding planner start-up based out of India’s capital, comprising of a handful of people, each with his/her past, aspirations and struggle. They work in tandem to deliver the best possible wedding experience for their clientele. The clients portrayed are usually the rich parents – ranging from businessmen to politicians to royalties to civil services topper. The two characters in the show – Sobhita Dhulipala as Tara Khanna and Arjun Mathur as Karan Mehra are the backbone of the show not only because they are leading the front at Made In Heaven start-up but also because their characters have undergone massive changes over the course of nine episodes.

Each episode is anthology styled, however the start-up based characters return thereby leading to their stories progression. Even though nearly all the marriages converted by Made In Heaven are the big fat Indian weddings and may sound similar in terms of great pompous and display of the lavish banquet, it doesn’t shy away from covering the diverse aspects of our society which are deeply rooted in this so called “made in heaven jodi”.

The show earns its praise for being able to unearth the best and the worst part of our customs, rituals and traditions which takes a heavy toll on many people psychologically and financially.

It comments that even though India has moved towards liberalization and modernization in the 21st century, but these aspects are deeply rooted and may go on for generations.

Through a subtle style, Made In Heaven highlights the themes which clouts the Indian marriage ecosystem – dowry, abortion, infidelity, corruption, abduction and even going at an extent to fingerpoint the patriarchal dominance: girl child hatred, molestation by rich & powerful men etc. And each story has a victim and culprit. Smartly, few episodes don’t clarify the character and leave it to the audience to judge the right from the wrong. Afterall, sometimes it about the greater good at that moment.

To bring a sense of wonder and realization to all, the narrative has been set in such a way that the situations not only surprises the viewers but also the two leads of the show. With their own lives’ past and present, they compare, derive insights, learn, adjust and acclimatize effectively. Their is a sense of connection which goes on in these crazy families and our front leads. And all this is the stark reality in our country.

It’s not that the show only focuses on the change we need, it mesmerises us with the beautiful and joyous ceremonies which takes place during the marriage fest. The locations, the function, the little conversations happen simultaneously. Probably one of the best episodes highlight the need of a partner for an old lady who lost her husband in 30s and had to raise her children alone. The feeling of loneliness, the missing warmth of love, the chains of an orthodox society neither serve the purpose nor the need of the women. It’s these moments where the show reaches the apex and appeals with the human touch.

When the show ends, it leaves you content for being an interesting drama with enough depth to satisfy most. Made In Heaven offers a cohesive narration, driven by two strong performances maneuvering through diverse issues in the Indian marriage festival.

When Netflix has shared adult dramas in the name of critically acclaimed Sacred Games and Mirzapur, Amazon’s soothing drama series Made In Heaven comes out as a masterstroke against Netflix.