Indian web just can’t get out of the bedroom. Viu India’s new series, Love Lust and Confusion produced by Mango People Media follows the same template. Lead character, journalist Poroma Sarkar (Tara Alisha Berry) comes to Mumbai from Kolkata. She is engaged to childhood love, Rohan (Ankit Bathla), who has moved to San Francisco for 14 months. Poroma’s folks represent the new-age parents, who don’t mind their daughter sharing a drink with them.
As the title suggests, she is confused, as most youngsters are, about what is right or wrong. The advice roomie and best friend Momo (Mohini Shimpi) gives her is that ‘if she likes someone, go for it’ is the new mantra. She keeps her engaged status hidden from all in Mumbai, apart from Momo, mainly because she wants to try out newer experiences, which she notes down in her diary. She also does not give Rohan time.
On the other side, we have the bearded drummer, Johnny (Rajat Barmecha), who was dumped by his girl, Rachna. He then ends up making out with Chetna in the washroom, a girl with whom his friend hooked him up on an online dating site.
He then meets Poroma at a party. The latter comes to know that the vegan guy, Jeet, she had gone to interview, and also ended up sleeping up with, was Momo’s guy. A ‘don’t steal my guy’ and a bra scene – aah!! Could this have been avoided? The scene where Poroma and Johnny talk was quirky but fun. She is a good doodler as well.
Poroma also tries out lesbian and three-way with Johnny’s band singer, Nikita, who openly swings both ways. The 3 way episode was fun when she asks, “Who should I kiss?” Today’s urban woman is proud of her sexuality and is ready to play the relationship game with men, as equal partners.
She also sleeps with Johnny after an encounter with the cops. Any mention of Bongs is incomplete without mention of their intellectual smugness; so here, Johnny points out her hi-fi English and refined culinary tastes.
Johnny conspires to break Rachna’s new relationship. She comes to confront him and yes, they again make out. There’s simply too much s*x on the web, compared with our TV shows, where even married couples aren’t shown to consummate their marriage.
Enter Gaurav Chopraa, as one more guy Poroma is supposed to interview. No prizes for guessing that she sleeps with him as well, after stumbling onto Johnny’s and Rachna’s escapade.
Tara is doing a good job as Poroma. It is not easy to do play such a promiscuous role. Hope later episodes bring out the hell of her actions cause, when her parents and fiancé come to know of her behavior. The best part about web is that we can be real. So, besides the free bed-hopping, which does happen, they should also show the flip side, which is not pretty, especially for desi women. Men get away with the playboy tag, while women are labeled as loose.
Rajat is doing a fine job as a guy who wants to have fun, yet pines for his ex. He claims not to be affected by his break-up, but he is.
Gaurav Chopraa comes across as a deferent thinking character. We all would love to have a boss as cool as Yudi (Meiyang Chang), who does not mind late-coming, and also gives an off at the drop of a hat. He also does not mind what you do post or before work, even when it involves clients. Poroma does know how to mix business with pleasure.
To be fair, the screenplay is not vulgar. The dialogues are everyday and what we like best is that the acting is natural; nothing seems forced. Director Victor Mukherjee has done a good job. As Producers, Neha Anand and Victor’s banner Mango People Media has attempted something really interesting.
The shooting style is quite classy. Also, all in the cast put up a style quotient which is pleasing to the eye. Most of us can easily identity with some or the other characters.
Having said this, our only issue is this– should Indian women also become like men? If yes, then where will the moral superiority be? In the race to get numbers, web makers again appeal to the lowest common denominator, as in TV, and end up showing stuff which is not completely acceptable!! A thought to ponder upon….
Overall, Love, Lust and Confusion is a good attempt at depicting the vulnerability of today’s youngsters with respect to the confusion in the head, about love and lust!! Both are 4-letter words, starting with ‘l’, but think of the difference it creates in the psyche of a person in relationship…
IWMBuzz.com credits the series with 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.
