Indian media is thriving on Netflix with shows like Never Have I ever, The Suitable boy and now Mismatched. The light rom-com show addresses some trending topics; revisiting gender norms, racial conceptions, marriages and the youth dynamic.
The plot is not any different. It has a mother whose mission is to find a suitable match for her daughter and reduces her daughter’s aim of her life to just get married. She engages in racial behaviour which is shown under a very negative light to discourage that kind of behaviour. But the setting of characters is somewhat different.
We are met with a strong character, Dimple. She does not succumb to her mother’s demands rather she has aspirations of her own. She has a very career-oriented plan- to study JAVA, build apps and to be successful. She is also shown as a gamer girl- shatters the gender normality that girls cannot play games.
Rishi- a desi guy who would actually prefer getting married rather than playing around. He’s obsessed with movies and quotes them in certain scenes. He’s a sweet boy, self-aware, sensitive and emotionally available which is refreshing, to say the least.
And together, Dimple and Rishi, create a very dynamic, "opposite attracts" combination.
There’s also vulnerability shown of the female characters, but most importantly, of the mIt breaks the norm that “men don’t cry” that gave rise to toxic masculinity. The portrayal of the youth struggles is very inviting as if it silently says that we are not alone.
Some other positive aspects are a non-toxic father who empowers his daughter’s goals, women supporting each other, or the hope that it is never too late to try something new.
However, it would be wise of me to say that I have not given a full image of the storyline for the sake of no spoilers which means that I have overlooked some plot shortcomings or the predictability of Rishi’s and Dimple’s love story. Or the roller coaster the finale was. But I would still say that it is a highly binge-worthy show, so what are you waiting? Recharge between submission deadlines and the online semester’s exhaustion and stream this show!
And when you do, let’s discuss the show with angles that we’ve studied in our course together.
I finished watching it a couple of days ago and I found it sooo cute and so with-the-times. They were able to address problems in the youth but also very clearly identify the realities of today. 10/10. Also, super duper cute music.
I am watching this show asap. I love dimple's character strong, independent, knows what she wants to do in life and these are some of the qualities I really want to adopt. Great read.