It’s hard to fully sympathize with Rahul Nair’s mini-series about an anxious, upper-class, twenty-something boy desperately trying to find a woman.
It’s hard to fully sympathize with Rahul Nair’s mini-series about an anxious, upper-class, twenty-something boy desperately trying to find a woman.
I can’t remember a more recent Hindi film or series showing the flaws of its protagonist in the form of Rahul Nair’s eight-episode miniseries, Forever confused and yearning for love, does. In a football field, when he sees an attractive girl, he wants to ask her out. But he can only muster a weak “hi” as soon as she approaches him. Ray [Vihaan Samat] Forever worried, almost always awkward, what to say and do, and even worse, a virgin and unmarried at 24. A friend with whom I watched the series said, “No wonder he’s an Arsenal fan.” (No offense, Arsenal fans.)
Ray is a little lonely too. He has only two proper friends; One, a classmate and the other, a work friend. Therefore, most of his conversations take place with Viz, a fictional magician whom he fell in love with as a boy. He has a keychain, car hanging, hand drawing and vis in the form of a small statue. More importantly, Wiz is also Inside Ray; She is his inner voice.
Wiz makes the show unique and interesting. His presence underscores the mental issues the series talks about, and adds a layer of childishness to Ray’s personality. Viz constantly prevents us from taking pity on Ray, and does not apologize about the latter’s failures and embarrassment. For example, when the attractive girl on the football field regrets not asking, she replies, “You’re dying alone because you didn’t do what you could.”
It may take some time to get used to Wiz’s constant backchat; They can also be borderline annoying. But, as the show progresses, you find yourself getting used to it and even finding it irresistible. The wise-cracking wizard gets some of the best zingers in the series, and a lost hero has a cooler alter-ego. Somewhat like Tyler Durden, but Wiz’s personality doesn’t take on a human form; This is what makes the character more interesting.
Jim Sarbh as Viz is brilliant. Despite his absence on screen, he voiced acting, making Viz the most entertaining character in the series. The few lines he gets could have resulted in a blinding, but his delivery chuckles and leads to outright laughter.
Vihaan’s portrayal of an anxiety-ridden, upper-class, twenty-year-old man desperately trying to find a woman is also reassuring. His acting and Rahul’s writing keep the character from becoming too pathetic or caricature.
The supporting characters (except Rhea), however, are a bit one-dimensional, especially the roles of Rahul Bose and Suchitra Pillai, who play Ray’s parents. Perhaps they will be discovered next season, as the last episode ends with a disjointed cliffhanger. The ending feels incomplete as the protagonist’s conflict remains unresolved.
The other main issue with the show is that we are unable to fully empathize with Rey, even though we can partially relate to him. One reason for this may be their affluence and privilege, which the show acknowledges; Her parents educate her in America, get her a well-paying job, get her her car… They even help her with dating. But for a show about a protagonist with mental health issues, it’s eager to reveal his psyche rather than make us laugh at him.
For example, there is a very vulnerable moment in the show, where a frustrated Ray tells his friend Rhea, “I don’t think anyone understands anything. But maybe I’m the only one in this generation who’s willing to admit it.” Maybe if Rahul wasn’t inclined to do a whole lot of comedy, we would have got a more human, more complex show.
Eternally Confused and Eager for Love is streaming on Netflix