Title: Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega
Director: Ankush Bhatt
Cast: Rishabh Chadha, Abigail Pande, Pankit Thakkar
Where: Streaming on ZEE5
Rating: 2.5 Stars
The title Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega suggests a tantalizing premise—something noirish, audacious, or at least unconventional. Instead, the seven-episode series delivers a tepid rom-com that never quite fulfills its potential. For a show ostensibly about daring escapades and marital mishaps, it’s puzzlingly timid, meandering into a predictable love story that feels more stale than sensational.
The story follows two competitive news anchors, Nikhat Kothari (Abigail Pande) and Ashutosh Chawla (Rishabh Chadha), as they vie for the coveted prime-time news slot at India Buzz TV. Their professional rivalry escalates when they're tasked with investigating a marriage court scam, a mission that sees them go undercover at a marriage bureau. A paperwork glitch leads to their accidental marriage, setting the stage for a supposedly uproarious attempt to divorce—a plotline that, naturally, pivots into the predictable trope of frenemies-turned-lovers.
While the premise has potential, the execution leaves much to be desired. The first two episodes crawl along, burdened by unnecessary subplots and excessive exposition. By the time the central conflict emerges, viewers may already be disengaged. The humour, rooted in situational comedy, rarely rises above mediocrity, offering more chuckles than belly laughs. What could have been a sharp, satirical take on marriage and professional ambition instead settles for a frothy, uninspired jaunt.
The writing is the series’ weakest link. Laden with clichés and devoid of depth, it fails to exploit the inherent drama of the setup. Office politics, romantic entanglements, and the protagonists’ incessant squabbling feel more perfunctory than engaging. The promised "kuch bhi" moments of outrageous desperation to secure a divorce are conspicuously absent, replaced by a derivative and straight-laced romantic arc. Even the climax, where love predictably triumphs over rivalry, feels like a checkbox ticked rather than an earned resolution.
Performance-wise, Rishabh Chadha as Ashutosh and Abigail Pande as Nikhat give it their all, but they’re constrained by the cardboard-thin characters they inhabit. Chadha oscillates between channeling Rajkummar Rao’s earnestness and Shah Rukh Khan’s charm, but his performance never truly feels his own. Pande, for her part, delivers a spirited portrayal of the feisty Nikhat, though her character's predictable arc limits her impact. Pankit Thakkar, as their boss, is serviceable but uninspired, while the supporting cast delivers sporadic moments of brightness that never quite coalesce into a cohesive whole.
Visually, the series boasts decent production values, with crisp cinematography and polished set designs. Yet these technical merits do little to elevate the uninspired narrative or compensate for the lack of originality.
Ultimately, this series is a safe, middling attempt at a romantic comedy that squanders its promising premise. While it may suffice as light weekend viewing for fans of the genre, it offers little for those seeking innovation or substance. The series might revolve around a marriage of inconvenience, but its own union of humour and heart is far from harmonious.