Story:
Unlike Season 2 – which took off right where Dimple (Prajakta Koli) and Rishi (Rohit Saraf) left in Season 1, Mismatched Season 3 shifts gears to take a three-year leap. We meet Rishi and Dimple once again. However, this time, separated by distance. While Rishi is doing extremely well at NNIT in Hyderabad, Dimple is still struggling to come to terms with her rejection by her idol – Nandini Nahata (Dipannita Sharma) in Ambala. Three years have passed and the duo has managed to keep their long-distance relationship afloat, courtesy of a metaverse equivalent ‘Betterverse’ that is being developed by Rishi, along with Anmol (Taaruk Raina), Krish (Abhinav Sharma), and Celina (Muskkaan Jaferi) at their new institute.
When Sidharth Sinha, aka Sid sir (Rannvijay Singha), opens his own tech institute (LLIT) right opposite NNIT, Dimple finally makes a move in an attempt to move on with her life and career and be closer to Rishi. This is where the OG gang (sans Kritika Bharadwaj’s Simran and a couple of others) reunites, hardly aware of the new set of challenges – both personal and professional – that await them just around the corner. Oh! There’s also Rithika aka Rith (Lauren Robinson) – a skilled queer hacker from Gujarat who identifies as a man – whose only motive to be on the campus is to get access to the Betterverse. How these characters navigate the new challenges thrown their way as they step into young adulthood forms the crux of the story.
Review:
You know that your favourite light-hearted binge-worthy series is losing steam the moment you find yourself more interested in the subplots of its many supporting characters. Thankfully, in Mismatched S3, it’s these subplots that keep you going when the “will they, won’t they” equation of the leading pair starts becoming repetitive and a tad bit tedious. Despite its limited scope, Gazal Dhaliwal (a constant from S1) and her team of writers including Aarsh Vora, Akash Jhunjhunwala, Nandini Gupta, and Sunayana Kumari have tried their best to infuse some freshness in the already stretched love story of Dimple and Rishi. Credit should also be given to the ease with which the leads have portrayed their respective parts (more on that in a bit).
There are three mismatched couples in a long-distance relationship and all three find different ways to deal with the situation. While Dimple and Rishi initially seek refuge in an AI-generated virtual reality world, Anmol and Vinny (Ahsaas Channa) find solace in weekly in-person meet-ups. However, it is the mature and heartwarming relationship of Sid and Zeenat (Vidya Malavade) that gets more thehraav (coupled with its own problem) this season. On the other hand, Krish continues to struggle with trying to decipher what he really wants, and when he finally does, it probably is too late (or is it?). Rith is a laudable new addition, bringing a breath of fresh energy and perspective to the mix. Celina is now a champion of the queer community but is still conflicted when it comes to matters of her heart. With so many characters dealing with issues of their own, there’s an obvious risk of losing focus while writing the screenplay which could’ve easily gone haywire, but mad props to the writers for keeping the narrative together and making it interesting enough for a breezy watch.
What sticks out like a sore thumb this season is that despite the multiple issues faced by the characters, the stakes rarely seem high enough for there to be a real threat. At times, the surface-level treatment given to the problems and their resolutions becomes a little off-putting. A hacking situation gets resolved with just a phone call/text (not once, but twice), an overweight character being ‘out of league’ for pretty girls in an attempt to touch upon body image issues, Dimple being outright annoying for no apparent reason (for the most part), for example, seem too convenient. However, the writing shines when it does a deep dive into the emotional conflicts and strikes a balance with some nuanced tracks, like the one involving a personal tragedy that befalls Dimple, Anmol’s struggle to believe he’s found love despite him being specially-abled, his regret for being a “professional troll” in the past, and Rith’s struggle with gender dysphoria are among the most rewarding portions of the season.
It is equally rewarding to see Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli’s growth and evolution as actors (even though their respective characters refuse to grow up) from the first season. There’s a certain charm and ease with which they appear on screen and bring a smile to your face that makes you root for them, even if your brain tells you not to. Rohit’s crisp and neat outfits and Prajakta’s doe-eyed smiles do distract at times, but the duo definitely lives up to the expectations. Taaruk Raina is simply superb as Anmol, especially in the scenes where he gets to portray Anmol’s emotional vulnerability and remorse. He once again benefits from getting a better-written arc. Ahsaas Channa delivers well as Vinny. Her chemistry with Taaruk is easy-flowing and pleasant on the eyes.
Muskkaan Jafery sparkles as Celina, dropping truth bombs and giving life lessons at the drop of a hat with a lot of spunk and sass. Rannvijay Singha and Vidya Malavade put up a layered performance. However, they seem to have been left on the periphery when their track had much more potential. Lauren Robinson, as Rith, delivers a pleasant surprise with her subtle and nuanced performance in a complex role. Comparatively, Abhinav Sharma doesn’t have much to do, but given the limited scope of his character this season, he does a fine job. Kshitee Jog as Dimple’s mother gets to do more than just offer a few laughs; that’s a welcome change. Garima Yajnik as Anuradha is decent and Akshat Singh as Aalif tries his best to deliver in an underwritten part that lacks any depth.The background score by Anurag Saikia lends itself seamlessly to the emotions on screen while Sudip Sengupta’s cinematography is apt. Akarsh Khurrana’s absence in the director’s chair is quite obviously felt, especially in terms of continuity in the way some scenes pan out. The soundtrack, while okay, lacks the standout quality of songs like Aise Kyun, Kho Gaye, or Pipni featured in the previous seasons. Only Ishq Hai manages to impress in S3.
Verdict:
At one point in Mismatched S3, a character says falling in love is not a choice. You happen to fall in love, but staying in love is a choice – a decision. The same can be said about the series. Falling in love with the first two seasons of Mismatched was (probably) not a choice, but staying in love with the series after its third season definitely is.
Mismatched Season 3
Watch on: Netflix
Writers: Gazal Dhaliwal, Aarsh Vira, Sunayana Kumari, Nandini Gupta, Akshay Jhunjhunwala
Cast: Prajakta Koli, Rohit Saraf, Rannvijay Singha, Vidya Malavade, Taaruk Raina, Ahsaas Channa, Muskkaan Jaferi, Lauren Robinson, Abhinav Sharma
Rating: 3 stars
