Season 2 of Netflix series Mismatched, starring Rohit Saraf and Prajakta Koli, is a high-octane drama that steers the conversation around the mental health of students and young professionals. What makes this coming-of-age romance drama stand out is its empathetic handling of the challenges and concerns of Gen Z as they navigate through career and love life.
Director Akarsh Khurana and writers Gazal Dhaliwal, Aarsh Vora Nandini Gupta and Sunayana Kumari have given a lot of attention to all the characters and their problems. And by the end of the second season, the characters become better human beings.
Here what makes Mismatched Season 2 more relatable for youngsters.
Rishi and Dimple get back together
The first season of Mismatched ended with Dimple (Prajakta Koli) blaming her boyfriend Rishi (Rohit Saraf) after the mobile app she was working on gets leaked. As the couple break up, Dimple kisses her project partner Harsh on an impulse.
The second season picks up from here — Dimple is guilty about the kiss and wants to clear things up with Rishi. When they meet, Rishi spills coffee on Dimple just as she had when they first met in Season 1. Both seek solace in other people before realising they are in love with each other.
Harsh goes from being a brat to dependable friend
One of the major highlights of this season is the growth in Harsh’s (Vihaan Samrat) character arc. In Season 1, we see him as an NRI brat who joined the course only to get away from his family and to use the high-speed internet to download porn. In Season 2, he forms a relationship with Dimple and wins hearts with his advice for her: ‘Take your broken heart and turn it into art.’ Harsh not only helps Dimple trace the source of the app leak but also stands by her when she gets panic attacks. The best part is how Harsh walks out with self-esteem from his relationship with Dimple, instead of lingering on as a third wheel.
Mental health issues under the spotlight
Mismatched Season 2 has addressed issues like body dysmorphia, anger management, panic attacks and coming to terms with one’s sexuality. Complications arising from heartbreak, peer pressure and concerns about one’s future contribute to the problems of students at Aravalli Institute.
A lot of screen time is devoted to Anmol (Taaruk Raina), who struggles with his disability and anger issues. Celina (Muskkaan Jaferi), on the other hand, is not ready to accept her sexuality.
Simran’s (Kritika Bharadwaj) struggles with body image issues reflects the dark side of the world of Instagram influencers who would go to any lengths to maintain their social media image. When Simran says, ‘I just want to scroll mindlessly till I can numb this pain in my heart’, it kind of hits close to home.
Standing up for one’s sexual orientation
Ayesha Duggirala (Dipannita Sharma), a former student of Aravalli Institute, is called in to help the students beta-test their apps. As a gay person, Ayesha becomes a support system for Namrata (Devyani Shorey), who is struggling with the consequences of being outed. Ayesha takes Anmol and gang to task for being homophobic, and inspires Namrata to stand up to her conservative father. Mismatched 2 makes a strong case for accepting love in all its forms, irrespective of gender. A dance sequence, with the Bandra-Worli sea link as the backdrop, is one such ode to the queer community.
Reminder that friendship is forever
When Celina finally puts her ego aside and embraces her identity, she walks up to Dimple and apologises for her past transgressions. She wants Dimple to give another chance to their friendship. ‘Ek universal law hona chahiye, ki lovers break up kar sakte hai but dosti? You have to nibhao life long because when friendship ends uska heartbreak na alag hi level ka hota hai,’ she says. Mismatched 2 reminds us that friends are forever. Rishi’s friendship with Sanskriti (Sanjana Sarathy), who is a new entrant in the season, also underscores the point.
Second chances in love
Zeenat (Vidya Malvade), the oldest student at the institute, continues her struggle to fit into the Gen Z crowd. She always lends a helping hand to her classmates when they are feeling low. Like Siddharth (Rannvijay Singha), their professor, she is a guide of sorts for them. And the sparks are flying between Zeenat and Siddharth in Season 2. In one heartwarming episode, the duo cook biryani together. The culinary adventure brings to fore Zeenat’s longing, who’s been a widow, to get a second shot at love.
Talking of second chances, Rishi’s divorced mother Kalpana (Aditi Govitrikar) gets hitched in this season. While her former husband (played by Jugal Hansraj) regrets letting her go without a fight, this plot point underlines the fact that parents have a life of their own beyond kids.
