Language: Hindi
I was sold on the premise of Dil Bekaraar even before I started watching the show (and even before I read Those Pricey Thakur Girls by Anuja Chauhan- the book that it’s adapted from, to be honest). Set in '80s Delhi and focusing on a family with five daughters (all named alphabetically in a very Pride and Prejudice meets Bridgerton set up), the story immediately appealed to the romance-reader and Jane Austen fan in me.
The fourth girl of the Thakur family, D for Debjani, is a newsreader at Desh Darpan (a state-owned TV news channel, not based on anything real at all). She meets D for Dylan Singh Shekhawat in between playing cards with her father and his friends and protecting stray dogs. Dylan is a hot young investigative reporter in Bombay, caught up in a story related to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy and its aftermath- an ambitious journalist chasing both byline and the truth. In between political agenda, classic miscommunication, and family drama, they somehow fall in love.
The show boasts of an impressive cast. Raj Babbar plays the patriarch of the Thakur family based in Hailey road; Poonam Dhillon is his wife, Mamata. Padmini Kolhapure is stunning as the chachi- always suspicious, slightly hysterical. Chandrachur Singh makes a brief appearance as the shrewd and power-hungry cabinet minister. In this star-studded cast, it is, in fact, the lead duo that often falters: Sahher Bambba and Akshay Oberoi stumble at times and are too intense for the otherwise lighthearted show.
As characters, both L. N. and Mamta Thakur are nuanced and interesting, as parents and people with their individual anxieties and flaws, trying to be a protector and guide to five strong, opinionated women. Chachiji is another interesting character: she’s constantly suspecting her husband of having an affair but, like many women her age and background, isn’t in a position to leave him. Instead, she relies on superstition and gossip to see her through her heartache. Gulgul bhai saab, Anji, and Binny all have interesting perspectives and add a different dimension to the show. The best thing is that these characters are people you have seen in your families and homes- their beliefs and insecurities are incredibly relatable.
As it won't to be with a large family, there are multiple subplots- too many if you ask me- but the characters’ anxieties are very rooted in the '80s- with concerns like arranged marriages, having a baby, jobs, and property redevelopment. The show does a great job of building the world of DD, Campa Cola, and imported perfume. It adds to it with the music and opening credits, which immediately place you in that world. The use of Bollywood songs is also great; the show regularly plays 70s and '80s hit Hindi songs to add to the romance: a move that is always welcome in my book.
While the show gets the setting absolutely right, it is the dialogues that it falters at. The characters speak in a mix of English and Hindi, but the flow is often jarring, the lines too written; even the shift between the two languages is often unconvincing.
It also struggles from trying to do too much: press freedom, political vehemence, lack of societal compassion, marriages and caste, family dynamics, toxic masculinity, high school crushes, childhood trauma- everything finds a place here. And while I do understand that families, in reality, are actually this dynamic and complicated, it still makes the show rushed and abrupt. The show writers might have considered sacrificing a subplot or two. I also wish there was more of an exploration of the sisters’ relationships- the show doesn’t go there at all. Even in the end, when they call the long-lost sister, only the parents are seen talking to her, not the girls.
Interestingly, the show ends with the announcement that Sachin Tendulkar is yet to make his debut for India- a sentence that shows exactly how much things have changed since the late '80s to become the world that we know today.
Overall, I’d say this is a heartwarming weekend watch, a worthy adaptation of the book. There are definitely moments that will make you feel for the Thakur family and, if you’re an '80s kid, will make you nostalgic for a past world.
The show is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Rating: ***
Shreemayee Das is a writer and a stand-up comedian. She writes mostly on cinema and culture. You can find her on Instagram and Twitter @weepli.
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