This story of an urban gay couple that finds itself in a remote village of Punjab hoping to stop one of the partner's shaadi in the nick of time and win over his orthodox family is peppered with extremely real, tangible, finely nuanced characters - each with back stories that develop and touch a chord.
From a homophobic chacha who who has a dark secret behind closed doors to his wife with vitiligo suffering in silence, never having felt the love of a husband yet content that she has found a wonderful family in her sasuraal ... a 'thug life' daadi whose unfulfilled wishes include phoonkoing gaanja, having whiskey from a steel gilaas in broad daylight in front of her entire family bcoz 'kisiko pata thodi na chalega' to watching adult filmein on the cellphone of a newly made young male friend. A tough-to-please mother with a stiff countenance and major traditional conditioning who must gradually wrap herself around her son's alternate orientation to an ex-army officer papa who was never around to figure how his son was shaping up, yet is far more relaxed about accepting anyone his son chooses to love.
Last but far from being the least is a kinnar Bhakti, ostracized by society to the extent of being denied medical help when she lands up at a clinic with a cut, bleeding finger. Her situation as well as her rare poetic talents land her the friendship of a handsome young straight man visiting town who she begins to lose her heart to ... the graph of her emotions and the delicate dynamics between the two are bound to tug at your heart strings and make you reach out for your kerchiefs.
Above it all, the show belongs to Amit Khanna, as an actor, who is successful in making you fall in love with a pansy, overweight gay man ... a protoype very often judged and bullied by society. With expressions that are just right, moments of vulnerability enacted with graceful subtlety and all the saucy sass n eye rolling diva-liciousness of a pakka queen, this adorable character grows on you right from the first frame just as he grows on his boyfriend's family. With a deft stroke, he smashes the stereotype that to be accepted and loved in society, a gay man must be heteronormative or 'straight acting' in his conduct.
Gulshan Nain and Ankit Bhatia as the brother and boyfriend are the show's drool quotient with their rippling muscles, handsome faces and endearing personalities ... but they're WAY more than being just eye candy. Both are sincere, sensitive, earnest actors who have done their bits well and have all the makings of being absorbed by mainstream Bollywood.
And even with so much messaging and layering packed in, what's marvelous about the season is that every episode is sprinkled with oodles of tongue-in-cheek wit, doesnt take itself too seriously and has the ability to laugh at itself and life in general. I am dazzled by a queer piece of fiction after long ... Was it Daaravtha that did it for me last? Or maybe that rare gem of a short film where a Marathi mother stands by her gay son in the face of abusive corrupt traffic cops, giving them a colorful mouthful? Kudos to Amit Khanna once again!
