Web Series: Mismatched Season 2

Cast: Prajakta Koli, Rohit Saraf, Vihaan Samat, Muskkaan Jaferi, Taaruk Raina, Rannvijay Singha, Vidya Malavade, Kritika Bharadwaj, Abhinav Sharma, Devyani Shorey, Sanjana Sarathy

Director: Akarsh Khurana

OTT: Netflix

Rating: 2.5 Moons

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The gate of Aravali Institute has reopened. After Dimple (Prajakta Koli) and Rishi (Rohit Saraf) chose to head out on different paths post an unlikely incident, things at the campus aren't the same for all. Once again, the students have to deal with love complexities, gender struggles and more. In the first season of Netflix's series Mismatched, director Akarsh Khurana made the audience comfortable with the lead characters. The second season takes their story forward. Will it surpass its predecessor? Let's find out.

Mismatched 2 opens with Dimple recalling the life-altering moment- a kiss with her coding assignment partner Harsh (Vihaan Samat) and parting ways with Rishi. While she is dealing with a troubled personal life, Dimple also has to fight to get due credit for her app, which she created with Harsh. The coding of her app was hacked, leaving her in grave trouble. Dimple, unable to process the chaos in her life, finds solace in Harsh who becomes her biggest support system over time. Amid this, Rishi makes a comeback to Aravali, leaving Dimple in a more messed up state. While they take a step forward to resolve things, circumstances refuse to favour them. 

On the other hand, Namrata (Devyani Shorey) is coping with the humiliation caused after her sexual orientation was disclosed. While she is trying to move on from Celina (Muskkaan Jaferi) and lead an independent life, she meets Ayesha, a mentor, who brings about the right change in her life. Anmol is grappling with his own insecurities and frustration that come along with his disability to move around and be like 'normal' people. 

Mismatched 2, without any argument, is a different world in itself. A world coated with vanilla icing and bright & colourful marshmallows which needed a dash of red chillies. Just like the previous season, the show tried to initiate multiple conversations but none of them reflect precisely on the screen. The fresh vibes that the campus sequences exuded previously, fall flat and dull. However, the makers balance it out by taking Rannvijay Singha's Siddharth and Vidya Malavade's Zeenat's cute yet mature romance a notch above. The tenderness in their brewing love is something to watch out for. 

Similar to the previous season, Mismatched 2 sheds too much emphasis on voiceover narration rather than impactful dialogues. This creates a further gap between the audience and the characters. The show, despite being far from perfect, manages to impress with the sensitive yet sweet portrayal of same-sex love and also insecurities among the youth. Holding a mirror to such sub-plots makes Mismatched 2 relevant. But was there even the need for a second season? That's indeed questionable. 

The students who are at the forefront are taken to Ajmer for a cool and swanky tech fest, but more than technology, their Bollywood knowledge and dance abilities are tested. Too unbelievable to be true. While Mismatched 2 has not grown much in terms of content and storytelling, it would be wrong to not credit it for bringing back the old-school 90s college romance genre. Harmless fun at its best, the show can help you cherish and recall priceless moments spent with your friends in college. One of the most beautiful moments of the show remains to be Aditi Gowitrikar's remarriage where her ex-husband marks his presence and both sons perform rituals with enthusiasm. 

One cannot possibly imagine anyone playing the roles of Dimple and Rishi apart from Prajakta and Rohit. They immortalise their characters with a certain degree of charm and innocence. It is a delight to watch them shine on the screen. Though the series orbits around Prajakta and Rohit's characters, the real stars are Rannvijay, Vidya, Devyani and Vihaan. They are the ones who make Mismatched 2 a fun watch even if that's in bits and parts. 

Mismatched 2 views the world through its own rose-tinted glasses. As cute and lovely as it looks on the superficial front, we wish it had a deeper, larger and more impactful vision to offer in terms of the story. 

PeepingMoon.com gives Mismatched 2, 2.5 Moons