Upmarket production values. Social dos, glamorous costumes, great sets, doses of emotions for the susceptible who wet their handkerchiefs, grimacing but (usually) non-violent baddies, one or two eccentric characters, a lifelike setting with larger-than-life narration, emotional backstories and definite communities highlighted through key characters and their families. A major crisis and misunderstandings that follows minor crises between good characters. Predictable happenings to an extent.
Do You Wanna Partner (thanks composers Sajid-Wajid, lyricist Sanjay Chhel and Salman Khan for this 2007 chartbuster that gives this one an apt title!) thus has all the ingredients of a typical Karan Johar confection of feel-good entertainment.
Shikha Roy Choudhury (Tamannaah Bhatia) cajoles bestie Anahita Makujina (Diana Penty) to join forces with her when she wants to start making craft beer, especially a recipe that her dad Sanjoy (Indraneil Sengupta) would make at home. His ‘friend’, Vikram Walia (Neeraj Kabi) had taken the recipe and has become a big name in the ‘beer world’, though he has never used that particular one. Sanjoy has since passed away and Shikha thinks it is due to the trauma of Vikram duping him. At that time, Shikha was a small girl.
Two women entrepreneurs in the world of the beer industry is exactly what the world will not support. They face ridicule, rejection and a total lack of empathy from all—bankers, investors, distributors and everyone down the line. Walia refuses to part with Shikha’s father’s recipe and finally, when they find a brewmaster in Bobby Bagga (Nakuul Mehta), the girls ingeniously experiment and come out with a winner. The name for it is also searched, and Anahita’s enterprising brother, Firdaus (Sufi Motiwala) provides one by default.
Things begin to improve, but there is a major teething problem. That’s when, on Bobby’s suggestion, they seek help from Laila Singh (Shweta Tiwari), a moneylender who is sans any scruples. As the beer is launched triumphantly, Vikram also tries to sabotage things. It’s an uphill task and soon Shikha gets desperate for what she feels is carrying on her father’s legacy at any cost. She then drives a wedge between her and Anahita, between Shikha’s loyal and ever-helpful suitor Kabir (Rannvijay Singha) and even between her and Dylan (Jaaved Jafferi), an actor who is lonely thanks to his own blunders. Dylan has played a vital role in the beer’s success and Shikha now goes over the top alienating all close to her, except her staunchly supportive mother (Ayesha Reza).
The script (Mithun Gangopadhyay, Nandini Gupta, Nishant Nayak, Nidhi Sethia and Aarsh Vora) and direction (Archit Kumar with one or two episodes done by Collin D’Cunha) faithfully go the Dharma way. The template may be familiar but the entertainment quotient is significant and there are the usual social comments, beginning with gender equality.
So what’s not kosher? For me, it is just the post-climax, which is really not ideal even as a cliffhanger for a possible season 2. For one, what happens to Walia is shown cleverly, but the aftermath is a shade inexplicable. Why was the climax not enough as an ending? If a Season 2 has to be there, it could have been brought in anyway with a crisp explanation at that time!
That said, the performances are superb. Tamannaah Bhatia puts in a turn that deserves awards in the web category this year for the various shades she depicts magnificently. Here’s a solid performer whose work here is a far cry from her va-va-voom item song girl image. Diana Penty has the easygoing role, but sparkles in the dramatic portions and excels in the lighter ones with her fluid expressions. In one word, given the scope, she is tremendous!
Jaaved Jafferi exhibits another shade of his versatility as the complexed yet good-natured Dylan. As the shameless Vikram Walia, Neeraj Kabi is terrifically gimmicky, and his little pirouette is an absolute hoot. Nakuul Sachdev is outstanding as the laconic brewmaster. Rannvijay Singha makes for a truly endearing Kabir. As Firdaus, Sufi Motiwala is brilliant. And Shweta Tiwari gets top marks for her menacing eyes and smiles and overall attitude as Laila. The supporting cast is okay (many) to good (Ayesha Reza, Lokesh Mittal).
The songs are wannabe-meaningful and sound plastic in their emotions, besides being overpowered to the point of inaudible words thanks to the decibel levels of the orchestration. Happily, we barely notice them!
Rating: ***1/2
Amazon Prime Video presents Dharmatic Entertainment’s Do You Wanna Partner Created by: Mithun Gangopadhyay & Nishant Nayak Produced by: Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta & Adar Poonawala Directed by: Archit Kumar & Collin D’Cunha Written by: Mithun Gangopadhyay, Nandini Gupta, Nidhi Sethia, Aarsh Vora & Nishant Nayak Music: Sangeet-Siddharth Starring: Tamannaah Bhatia, Diana Penty, Rannvijay Sinha, Nakuul Kumar, Jaaved Jafferi, Sufi Motiwala, Neeraj Kabi, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Indroneil Sengupta, Shweta Tiwari, Shaji Choudhary & others
