At a time when youngsters, especially those living in urban areas, are increasingly getting alienated from their roots, Dil Dosti Dilemma spins a coming-of-age tale that’s about reconnecting with grandparents. The seven-episode show, set in present-day Bengaluru, explores two different facets of the city: one focuses on the posh localities, schools and workplaces, while the other takes the viewers to an old middle-class neighbourhood that’s dealing with the threat of redevelopment changing its character forever.
The show’s high-spirited protagonist Asmara (Anushka Sen) becomes the proverbial bridge between these two worlds when she is made to spend the summer with her maternal grandparents at their ancestral home in Tibbri Road. Though Asmara is a spoiled rich girl whose father indulges her whims and fancies, her mother is keen that the teenager remains grounded. When Asmara, embarrassed of her grandmother (Tanvi Azmi), introduces the latter as her grandmother’s friend to her besties, her mother cancels her Canada trip. Instead, Asmara now has to live in Tibbri Road for two months with her grandparents.
Directed by Debbie Rao, the show is produced by Ten Years Younger Productions, founded by Seema Mohapatra and Jahanara Bhargava, who also serve as the show’s creative producers as well as co-writers. The series, which is adapted from the book Asmara’s Summer written by Andaleeb Wajid, cuts the clutter of many young adult and teen dramas produced in the West over the years to present a story wherein the setting and characters feel familiar. The conflicts it tackles, too, ring a bell.
A still from Dil Dosti Dilemma.
As Asmara, a fashion-forward teenager in mini-skirts and perfectly blow-dried hair, Sen is quite impressive. She ably depicts Asmara’s naivety as well as struggles. Azmi and Shishir Sharma stand out as her grandparents, bringing their crackling chemistry that Asmara calls “#couplegoals”. Suhasini Mulay, as the crotchety Akhtar Begum, creates some tense moments on the show which otherwise tries to stay in the feel-good zone. Clad in a flowing Pathani suit, Kush Jotwani represents that handsome neighbour who’s every teenager’s dream come true.
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Even as Asmara tries to adjust to life in Tibbri Road — she hides it from her friends and pretends to call them from Canada — it is obvious that everything is not going to be hunky-dory. But Asmara handles these challenges well and even comes up with solutions to the myriad issues that this middle-class neighbourhood is facing. While this does capture her spirit and ability to think on her feet, the narrative brushes aside several serious conflicts that arise when a rich kid lives in a house that doesn’t have a commode or regular supply of water and electricity.
A still from Dil Dosti Dilemma.
By glossing over the class conflict, the makers decidedly let Asmara be cute and creative. That works if you want to watch something delightful with several heart-stopping romantic moments thrown in. And, by not underlining Asmara’s Muslim lineage and neighbourhood, the makers present her story as that of any privileged Indian teenager, who learns to embrace her roots.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video
Dil Dosti Dilemma director: Debbie Rao
Dil Dosti Dilemma cast: Anushka Sen, Kush Jotwani, Tanvi Azmi, and Shishir Sharma, Shruti Seth, Suhasini Mulay, Vishakha Pandey, Revathi Pillai, and Elisha Mayor
Dil Dosti Dilemma rating: Three stars
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