'Masaba Masaba' review: Neena Gupta and daughter star in fun, frothy series

The series doesn’t want us to feel sorry for or be in awe of either woman.
Neena Gupta and Masaba
Neena Gupta and Masaba
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Let’s face it, all of us are curious about movie stars, fashion designers and their luxurious lifestyles. Most celebrities project a certain public persona and qualities or catch phrases get attached to them along the way. In the case of actor Neena Gupta and her fashion designer daughter Masaba, these words are bold, strong, unconventional and occasionally, brave.

Masaba Masaba, now streaming on Netflix, cashes in on both, our curiosity about the glamorous lives of those in the public eye, and the fact that both Neena and Masaba Gupta are women who have had far from conventional lives. The six-episode series is created and produced by Ashwini Yardi, directed by Sonam Nair, and written by Punya Arora, Nandini Gupta, Sonam, and Anupama Ramachandran.

It opens with Masaba’s marriage to musician Vinay (Satyadeep Mishra) coming to an end, a fictionalised parallel to real life Masaba’s divorce from film producer Madhu Mantena last year. She is a successful designer and businesswoman but her life as we see soon enough, is a ‘hot mess’, a fact that will inspire a future collection on the show. There are prospective suitors Manav and Jogi (Tanuj Virwani and Smaran Sahu), an overbearing investor, Dhairya Rana (Neil Bhoopalam) driving her up the wall, celebrity clients who want matching Masaba outfits for their dogs, and employees who need to be paid on time.

Reel life Masaba has a lot that she is juggling, but she isn’t alone. There is bestie Gia (Rytasha Rathore), faithful assistant Gehna (Nayan Shukla), hilarious therapist Geeta (Pooja Bedi) who stalks her movie star husband in the middle of sessions, and of course her mother, who she turns to when the world seems too much to bear. While the two don’t always see eye to eye, their bond as mother and child, and the respect they have for each other as professionals is special.

I am pretty sure it was not easy being a child of mixed racial parentage in the '80s and '90s or being a single parent in the same era, but apart from one passing dialogue or a fleeting scene that never gets fully explored, the series doesn’t dwell on it. While this may seem like a lack of emotional depth, or a creative decision to keep things light hearted, perhaps it’s just realistic. It’s quite unlikely that a mother and daughter would sit and discuss or mull over the past amidst all their other personal and professional commitments. They must reminisce from time to time or bring it up in the middle of an ugly fight like all of us do, so that’s what the show does as well.

Masaba Masaba doesn’t want us to feel sorry for or be in awe of either woman. Like most people, Neena and Masaba battle insecurities, chase dreams, pay bills, try to find work (giving auditions for parts at 60), tackle investors, and make mistakes. The show never offers explanations, choosing instead to applaud their determination to keep moving forward. It tells us that women can make choices without regrets or apologies, and that having it all can also mean making the best of what you have.

My only grievance, or perhaps the only aspect of the show that really rankles is that while Neena or Neenaji’s world in the show is dotted with real actors and filmmakers who bring realism and humour, Masaba’s story has no other real-life fashion designers or magazine editors who make cameo appearances. Even the magazine she aspires to be on the cover of is fictional. Real life Masaba battled childhood bullying and body image issues, and succeeded through sheer hard work and tremendous originality. Yet the people from her world are reduced to caricatures with coloured hair or effeminate mannerisms. So while we are told she is famous, we never get an insight into what it takes to be as successful as she is.

Many of the situations the two ladies find themselves in are far-fetched and even unrealistic, but the show as a whole is a fun one-time watch. It was probably envisioned as an OTT platform chick flick series; fun and breezy with just the right dose of emotions and family drama.

Neena Gupta is fabulous playing a fictionalised version of herself and her expressive eyes and face modulate expressions and emotions perfectly. She is enjoying her second act in the business and it’s great to see her excel. Masaba, who plays a version of her real-life self, is quite at ease in front of the camera for a debutant and turns in a natural and unaffected performance. I also liked Rytasha, Neil and Gehna who are wonderful in their supporting roles as key figures in Masaba’s life.

Masaba Masaba is a light-hearted, one time watch that can easily be binged in a couple of hours. Do check it out.

Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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