Made In Heaven Season 2 Review : A riveting unraveling of rose tinted romances and big fat weddings

Story: Made in Heaven Season 2 brings back wedding planners, Tara Khanna (Sobhita Dhulipala) and Karan Mehra (Arjun Mathur) doing what they do best - design some of the most upscale weddings in Delhi and beyond. Only, this time round they have to deal with their new unglamorous office, a new auditor and a new business partner whose eye is only on profits.

Review: When Made in Heaven Season 1 dropped in 2019, the series made quite the splash - disclosing the not-so-perfect 'behind-the-scenes' of the flashiest weddings and the marriages of the rich and powerful. By the end of season one, Tara finds herself on the brink of a divorce from Adil Khanna (Jim Sarbh), her industrialist husband. While Tara stumbles upon Adil's affair with Faiza (Kalki Koechlin), Adil finds out about the real story behind the circumstances leading his wedding with her.

In the timeline of the series, season two starts off six months later, as Tara and Karan are trying to resurrect their business from the financial fumbles it faced in season one. This means setting up office in an old, dilapidated house in the bustling bylanes of North Delhi and a new business partner, Jauhariji (Vijay Raaz). And for Jauhariji only the finances matter, not the stylised, glamorous weddings the Made in Heaven team are known to lay out for their high-profile clients. He brings in his wife, Bulbul Jauhar (Mona Singh), as the auditor to keep a tight rein on things. Bulbul's main point of contention is the new hire, Meher (Trinetra Haldar), owing to her cost to the company. And that there is too much money spent on burgers and real flowers. Kabir (Shashank Arora) and Jaspreet (Shivani Raghuvanshi) complete the Made in Heaven team.

As the stories of the principal characters and the new set of clients unfold, the narrative plays out in many layers. On the other side of the sparkle and sheen of carefully curated weddings, dysfunctional families, toxic relationships, prejudices and flawed, messy characters start to tumble out. Scratch the surface of the rose-tinted romances and the scars begin to show. Just like in season one, every episode picks up a theme or two - the country's unwavering obsession with fair- skinned brides, silent sufferers of abuse in a relationship, polygamy, parental opposition to a same-sex couple, the drama surrounding a celebrity wedding, caste prejudice when it comes to marrying into a Dalit family. As directors, Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, Neeraj Ghaywan, Alankrita Shrivastava, Nitya Mehra helm the seven-episode series together, Made in Heaven pushes the envelope and lays bare the hypocrisy and double standards that dwell in our society.

With an ensemble guest cast like Neelam, Radhika Apte, Dia Mirza, Mrunal Thakur, Sarah Jane Dais, Shibani Dandekar, Pulkit Samrat - the series powers through with its stories and characters. There's enough to sink into in every episode, yet some stand out more - like the Neeraj Ghaywan-directed episode on an Amnesty award-winning author reclaiming her Dalit identity. Radhika Apte as Pallavi Menke belts out a spirited and superlative act. Dia Mirza shines through as the resolute Shahnaz in Alankrita Shrivastava's episode which juxtaposes polygamy with a same-sex couple celebrating their love with a commitment ceremony. Neelam's outing as the wife who wants to leave her husband (Sanjay Kapoor) for her boyfriend (Samir Soni), even if it means putting herself before her daughter, also creates a bit of flutter. Mrunal Thakur as the abused fiance of a celebrated life coach brings out hidden toxicity and abuse in relationships.

Against the backdrop of the wedding stories, the lives of Tara, Karan, Bulbul, Meher, Kabir and Jazz unravel. While Karan tries to reconcile with his mother's feelings towards his sexuality and her being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, he spins into a downward spiral. Tara is committed to getting a better settlement from her divorce, even as she moves on to a new relationship with a young chef, Raghav (Ishwak Singh). Kabir and Jazz navigate a new dynamic in their relationship. Bulbul's crisis at home when one of her sons lands in trouble at school, brings out the other side of her story. And Meher, a trans woman, holds out hope for a fulfilling relationship that seems elusive, even as she forges some lasting friendships in her office. Vikrant Massey (recurring from season one) and Neil Bhoopalam add with their limited screen presence. Trinetra Haldar makes an impressive debut and Mona Singh is fantastic as she balances her roles.

Arjun Mathur with an affecting, remarkable portrayal, and Sobhita Dhulipala with a stunning screen presence and arresting performance are the backbone of the series. The production values are expectedly top-notch with the glam quotient and ethereal costumes intact.

Made in Heaven makes for a riveting, intriguing watch as layers are peeled off every character to reveal all their shades and the stories smash stereotypes and conventions as they go along.