Badtameez Dil Review: Barun Sobti and Ridhi Dogra’s Amazon miniTV Show Loses Its Charm Midway in Its Many Subplots (LatestLY Exclusive)

Badtameez Dil Review: When you see the charm of Ridhi Dogra and the dazzle of Barun Sobti on a poster that clearly hints at a romantic comedy, your interest is bound to pique. Created by Ekta Kapoor, Badtameez Dil (meaning "Shameless Heart") earns the interest of most people simply because of its strong cast list. In addition to the powerful lead pair, there is the wit of Mallika Dua and the return of Minissha Lamba. Badtameez Dil Trailer Out! Barun Sobti and Ridhi Dogra’s Love Story Is a Little Old School With Lots of Suspense.

The 10-episode romantic comedy begins with the conventional introduction of a girl who believes in Austenian love and a guy who is too practical to think love in 2023 is real. The characters set the perfect foundation for your run-of-the-mill "opposites attract" love story.

Everyone knows where the show is headed, but that doesn't make the journey any less fun. From the start, Ridhi Dogra reels you in to the life of Liz - a name she gave herself to escape the unfortunate name her mother gave her, Himmat. Liz is a literature major who teaches love and Austen and dreams of living in a fairytale world with her Darcy. On the other hand, you have Barun Sobti's Karan Singh Rathod, who will make you feel instantly sorry for him. The show captures the opposite sides of loneliness that is undeniable and unavoidable in city life from the first episode and does a decent job of commenting on the same and navigating through it.

Watch the Trailer:

The romance itself keeps you hooked with the perfect balance of stellar chemistry, some sharp writing, and relatable anecdotes (the lead couple's love for the sitcom FRIENDS, in this case). Every character on the show has a strong plot and social message that they want to deliver. Whether it is Mallika Dua (as Elena) and her commentary on being in love with a married man, Ismeet Kohli's Tess who navigates being a modern Muslim woman in 2023, or Chirag Mehra and Tanay Aul as Anish and Krish respectively - an Indian-origin gay couple who struggle to come out to their parents and then face the challenges of married life.

However, it is this attempt by the show to comment on and capture too many stories all at once in 10 episodes that leads to its downfall. While you breeze through the first few episodes with quick introductions to various characters and their issues, the show begins to lack direction in the second half. The writer and director's attempt to capture "you imitate who you love" comes across clearly, but the execution of this thought does not land well.

After spending 3-4 episodes understanding why our lead characters are shaped the way they are, their transformation (for better or worse) is rather sudden and unexplained. As the show tries to navigate through nine winters, it excludes crucial plot points. In its second half, Badtameez Dil also fails to treat its side characters as actual characters, instead using their lives and journeys as mere opportunities to move the plot (whatever it is, at this point) forward. Because of this, a strong and sensitive story like Tess' abusive marriage and her escape is eclipsed by Ridhi and Barun's rekindling. And this chaotic and confusing use of plot points leads to an ending that may not leave viewers as fulfilled as a classic romantic comedy. While the ending is realistic, its explanation lacks conviction. Barun Sobti and Pashmeen Manchanda Blessed with a Baby Boy.

As we said earlier, Badtameez Dil boasts a strong and talented cast that will draw you in. And while each character has some shining moments, it fails to utilise these actors to their best ability, and that is the key reason for its failure. Creating a modernised love story with Austenian love is possible, and it has been done beautifully in the past. But attempting to build a story that draws from the Austen era of love while also commenting on the modern era of "fast-paced romance" with characters that are complex for the sake of being complex, is where Badtameez Dil fails to make a good impression.

Final Thoughts

Badtameez Dil has its charms, its laughs, its heartwarming moments, and it can even make you cry (if you are the type of person who cries easily at romantic movies), but it is not an unabashed love story that will remain with you for long or that will make your heart go badtameez.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 12, 2023 02:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).