Made in Heaven, Season 2: "Marriages are made in heaven, so are thunder and lightning"

Although the quote comes from Clint Eastwood, you can say it again, for this is Season 2. And unlike most marriages in real life, on OTT you get a second chance, to revisit heaven. After a successful Season 1 (2019), the team from Excel Media and Entertainment, and Tiger Baby Films, is back, with Season 2. Many characters are retained, and a few are added, to make these marriages work, I presume, the second time around. Made in Heaven is about wedding planners, as well as those who are tying the knot. Having been exposed only to the trailer of this nuptial, one cannot help recalling a film called The Wedding Planner (2001, starring Jennifer Lopez), and The Wedding Planner, a novel by Danielle Steel. Now you decide whether there is a Mary Fiore in the web series or a Faith Ferguson. Or, going original, neither character is inspiration for the script of Made in Heaven.

On August 1, at the Grand Hyatt, Santa Cruz East, the official trailer was released by Prime Video. The International Emmy nominated series is directed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar. Shrivastava had a hiccup in her directorial debut, Turning 30 (2011), but redeemed herself, as a writer, with Lipstick Under My Burkha. Neeraj Ghaywan made the milestone film Masaan, and co-directed the Netflix's series Sacred Games with his mentor Anurag Kashyap, in 2019. In 2016, Nitya Mehra, directed her first feature film Baar Baar Dekho, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Katrina Kaif, co-produced by Excel Entertainment and Dharma Productions. She went to the same school as Alankrita, in Dehradun. Co-incidence? And of course, she was part of Made in Heaven, Season 1 team. Reema ‘Kakati’ Kagti is Assamese and her last film was Gold (2018). Together, Reema and Zoya Akhtar helm Tiger Baby Films, a film production company, founded in October 2015. Which brings us to Zoya Akhtar. Having great poets as her ancestors, right down to Papa Javed Akhtar, Zoya is coming up with a film based on the Archie comics characters, called The Archies. The teaser trailer of the film was launched on 18 June 2023 in the Tudum 2023 event held in São Paulo. Well, since I wrote the dialogue of a TV adaptation of Archie many years ago, my interest is high on this one, which will be released on Netflix.

The new season incorporates an impressive slew of guest stars and regular parts, such as Mrunal Thakur, Radhika Apte (“for everything else, there is whiskey”), Dia Mirza, Neelam Kothari, Shibani Dandekar, Sanjay Kapoor (who made an attempt to reprise a couple of lines from Mughal-e-Azam, which were not his magnum opus for sure), Samir Soni, Pulkit Samrat, Vikrant Massey, Elnaaz Norouzi, Imaad Shah, Sarah Jane Dias, Shrishti Behl, Neil Bhoopalam, Lillete Dubey, Anurag Kashyap and Sabyasachi. The show returns with the franchise’s stellar cast, including Sobhita Dhulipala, Arjun Mathur, Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi and Vijay Raaz, reprising their roles, and features new faces such as Mona Singh, Ishwak Singh and Trinetra Haldar. The series revolves around Tara and Karan, two wedding planners in Delhi, running an agency named Made in Heaven. During November-January, there are at least 3,000 society weddings taking place in Delhi every year.

Prime members in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide can stream all 7 episodes of Made In Heaven, Season 2, from 10th August. Made in Heaven beautifully traces the of milieu of tradition, modern aspirations and societal belief systems, set against the canvas of lavish Indian weddings. The trailer of Made in Heaven Season 2 takes us into the lives of its lead characters, who were at the crossroads at the end of Season 1. With new brides and new challenges, our favourite wedding planners deal with their professional and personal setbacks. The second season of Made in Heaven is mounted to be grander, filled with romance, drama, and, what else? Weddings! This time around, the series delves deeper into the lives of its characters, who navigate the complexities of organising and celebrating marriages, while their own lives unfold in unexpected ways.

"It feels amazing to be back as Tara in Made in Heaven Season 2.  For me Tara's journey has been both fascinating and challenging as she navigates her personal life with Adil and Faiza, while planning lavish weddings,” shares Sobhita Dhulipala (remember her in The Night Manager). “I had such an incredible time shooting for the second season, and I think this season will resonate even more with our audience. There is a little pressure to match, and even surpass, the audiences’ expectations from the previous season, but I’m positive about it.  I’m sure Made in Heaven Season, 2 will enthrall the viewers and prompt significant conversations about the complexities of human existence, making it an unforgettable and thought-provoking experience."

Arjun Mathur (Luck by Chance, My Name is Khan, The Accidental Prime Minister) shares his excitement saying, "It is an interesting journey to revisit a previously essayed character and hit new notes and dimensions with it. Playing Karan in Made in Heaven has been a transformative experience. The love and recognition from the first season, including the International Emmy nomination, have been overwhelming. Season 2 takes Karan to new heights as he navigates opulent weddings. I am very curious about how the viewers will react to Karan’s continuing journey and the unexpected twists in his life. It will also capture Karan's emotional journey, challenging conventions and seeking happiness amidst grand celebrations. The show unfolds the true events of a wedding, not just how everything appears happy on the outside.” 

Jim Sarbh (I could have sworn he was a Parsee, and guess what? He is. You might remember him in Neerja, Sanju and Gangubai Kathiawadi) shares, "It has been a great experience essaying the character of Adil Khanna, particularly because of the opportunity to work with Alankrita, Neeraj, Nitya, Reema, Zoya along with Nikos Andritsakis, and Tanay Satam, the DoPs, and the rest of the extremely talented crew, the direction, and the production team. It’s incredible to see how this character, who is simultaneously layered and obtuse, has resonated so well with audiences in India and beyond. In Season 2, Adil will be navigating loss, love, and loyalty, and making some tough choices. It will be intriguing for audiences to see how Adil's decisions will catch up to him, and how he will evolve this season. It is humbling to be an integral part of a show that has received such critical acclaim, and I hope that this new season, too, will garner the same amount of love and appreciation across the globe." That his face does not answer to a name like Adil Khanna is an occupational hazard. Jim took a jibe at compère Sachin Kumbhar, who must have used the title of the series and the date when it will premiere, at least a 100 times in 50 minutes. Can’t blame him, really, poor fellow, he must be getting paid by the number of times he does the needful. In honour of Season 2, here is my second mention: 10th of August.

In the end, I go back to Clint Eastwood, who is going to “make my day”. Marriages are made in heaven. But then, again, so are thunder and lightning. And there is a gem of reality check quote: Divorces are made on earth.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/_lpxWzvII5k