Netflix India is certainly winning more hearts with the introduction of its web series titled Masaba Masaba. The series is centered on the life of Masaba Gupta, who is a fashion designer, and her mother, Neena Gupta, an actress. The new and sensational motion picture series offers viewers a peek behind the veil covering the Hindi film and fashion industry.
The series captures the life of Masaba Gupta in detail; a diligent and successful fashion designer by all standards. She runs a label independently, but however, encounters several challenges during the course of the series. It all starts with a random publication of her divorce. That report would go on to be confirmed as true.
The script written by a team of writers which includes Anupama Ramchandran, Nandini Gupta, Sonam Nai, and Punya Arora, tactfully highlights several ills in the society like the prejudice against women, especially veteran actresses, in Bollywood. This subject, clearly portrayed in the character of Neena Gupta, shows her struggling to land a role in the Hindi film industry, which still operates in a patriarchal system. The series shows how these actresses navigate the worst storms in their personal lives and career. There are many lessons to be learnt in this series, as viewers can watch and admire the resilience and fighting spirit that Masaba and Neena show from the very first episode.
The relationship between Masaba and her mother, Neena is one that will capture the hearts of many viewers, especially those who understand what that kind of relationship is like. These are independent women with both personal and collective struggles. Viewers are taken through their journeys as they strive to succeed despite the constant stream of problems that life throws at them. Both mother and daughter are portrayed to have incredible survival instincts that help them in overcoming the hurdles they face throughout the course of the movie.
Masaba Masaba is directed by talented filmmaker Sonam Nair, who unleashes an insightful and special perspective into the life of the protagonist in the series. Nair does an excellent job in capturing the beauty in each and every scene, including the most outlandish ones.
The character of Masaba is played by herself, and is excellently portrayed with remarkable ease. The male characters in the life of Masaba include her very shy and sensitive ex-husband, a bisexual artist who is also a colleague, a socially awkward boss, as well as a cheating ex-boyfriend.
Several jaw-dropping scenes are captured in the series, as the two women portray an artistic representation and clear mirror of society. One good example of such scenes is Masaba’s fashion show where she is forced to handle several difficult fashion bloggers and models. She also has to placate the ego of the show spoiler, played by Malavika Mohanan. Viewers will be delighted to see Mohanan appearing on the series as one of the many celebrity cameos.
Hopefully, a second season of the series is in the works and will soon be released, and it will feature deeper aspects of the life of Masaba and Neena, as the actual lives of these adorable mother and daughter are far more intriguing than what has been portrayed so far in the series.
While this is only a series, it is impossible to deny the accuracy and vivid representation of the patriarchy that is deeply rooted in the Indian glamour industry, especially with regards to female talents looking to make a life.
