Bade Achhe Lagte Hain, the cult concept which depicts the love tale of two mature middle-aged individuals, is back with a new leading pair on Sony TV!! After having the amazing Jodi of Ram Kapoor and Sakshi Tanwar creating magic onscreen in the first edition, the expectations towards the second season of this Balaji Telefilms show has literally hit the rooftop!!
The makers and channel have probably ticked the right boxes by bringing in Nakuul Mehta and Disha Parmar as the leads. This is the second time the two of them get to work together. The last time around, they simply enthralled one and all as the leading pair of Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyaara Pyaara. The premise and the characterizations here are so very different, like chalk and cheese.
The broad story set-up and characterizations of Ram and Priya are neatly done. The striking contrasts in behaviour and thoughts, especially when it comes to love and love-related ambiences like rain, romantic songs connected with it, have been very crisply depicted. While Ram is nursing a love breakup, Priya also has a broken heart, and with it, nurses the terrible wound of hating the word love.
The show has a huge cast, but the makers have taken time out in conveying to the audience about who is who and how relationships are based out!!
While Priya lives with her mother (Kanupriya Shankar Pandit), and has three sisters and a brother, Ram has a huge family, his mother (Shubhavi Choksey), a brother and sister, followed by an extended family. Also, Ram has a good list of friends who are like family.
Ram’s friendship with Adi (Ajay Nagrath) is beautifully depicted. The scenes between them bring in smiles. Also, the scenes between Ram and Adi’s wife Brinda (Aanchal Khurana) are even sweeter.
A parallel story of Ram’s ex-girlfriend Vedika (Reena Aggarwal) and her husband Shashi (Vineet Kumar Chaudhary) is shown. Ram weeps in pain every time he sees his ex in the arms of her man. However, on the other hand, Priya is shown holding a brave front even when she has seen her sister Maitri (Anjum Fakih) marry her own ex Neeraj (Aman Maheshwari).
Amid all this, is the complicated love story of Akki (Pranav Misshra) and Shivina (Sneha Namanandi). The show starts with Ram making a promise to Vedika that even though they have broken up, Ram will get his sister Shivina married to Vedika’s brother-in-law Sid. However, this does not happen as Shivi is in love with Akki, Priya’s brother.
Hell breaks loose when Ram gets to know of this. However, he supports the lovers and wants to unite them. But the cost he has to pay is to wait till Akki’s sister Priya gets married. The scene between Ram and Akki wherein the latter talks about how he wants his sister to have a life of her own, was very beautifully shot.
Dialogues in the show add great value, especially the ones which come out of the broken hearts of Ram and Priya.
The pace of the show has been really good. A lot has happened in the week gone by. The best aspect is that the makers have succeeded in clearly depicting the pain that Ram and Priya go through as loners. The parallel tracks have been quite engaging and interesting.
The show has some really good performers and all of them have gotten into the skin of the characters very well. Nakuul and Disha lead the way. While it is painful to see a guy of the stature of Nakuul weep for his unfulfilled love by holding a napkin in his hand, Disha excels in the de-glam avatar of hers, where her only best friend is her raincoat, which actually protects her from getting drenched.
Actors Pranav Misshra (Akki), Alefia Kapadia (Sara, Priya’s elder sister), Anjum Fakih (Maitri), Ajay Nagrath (Adi), Aanchal Khurana (Adi), Reena Aggarwal (Vedika), Vineet Kumar Chaudhary (Shashi) have got more of the screen presence in the first week. They have been really good.
While Sara and Priya share a very good rapport as sisters, Priya’s relationship with Maitri is hot and cold, as the latter married the former’s ex-boyfriend. The beautiful bond of love in Priya’s family has been shown well, wherein everyone from the mother to the siblings wants to see Priya getting married.
While Ram’s mother, brother Shubham (Manraj Singh) and sister Shivi appear to be more self-centred, Ram’s friends are really concerned for him and want him to meet his love soon. The beautiful cord of friendship that the show depicts looks good.
We have to say that the foundation of this unique love story has been set up very well.
The only aspect that can be told against the show is that there is no newness in the plot, as the main broad concept is already known to the viewers. Also, comparisons will start to flow in at every given juncture with the earlier season. But let us tell you here, there is nothing that the makers have kept, apart from the middle-aged love concept that can be compared. The premise, the taking and thought process of leads, the ambience, and especially the sets and costumes give out a new feeling.
The show will bank heavily on the amazing chemistry of Nakuul and Disha. The setup of this love tale will again be different when compared to the earlier show they did together.
Coming back to the acting set up, not much has been shown of the mothers Kanupriya Shanka Pandit and Shubhavi Choksey yet. They are great performers and we await to see more of their prominence in the show. Also, the angle of Priya being hurt by her father’s deceit (Abhay Bhargava) adds more agony to her. The hatred between father and daughter will add a new element to the tale.
Overall, with a good broad story with acceptable characterizations, a good cast, Bade Achhe Lagte Hain 2 is bound to do well!!
We at IWMBuzz.com credit the show with 4 out of 5 stars.
