Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega Review: Fresh humour, novel premise make this comedy drama immensely Bingeable

Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega

Entertainment and Features Editor of India Buzz TV ‘Sabse Tez, Sabse Aage’, Nikki Kothari (played by Abigail Jain) has an ambitious intern who spits in her coffee occasionally. Ashutosh Chawra (Rishabh Chadha) is a happy-go-lucky, street smart intern who landed in trouble because he broke the story of a big scam in Ahmedabad. “Crime aur politics ka journalism nahi karunga, entertainment safe hai, he says”.

Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega: Plot

If only Ashutosh knew about the dangers of reviewing propaganda films. Nevertheless, Ashutosh and Nikki are at loggerheads with each other as Ashutosh pitches fresh ideas to Nikki's boss and gets lucrative interview assignments. A Mr and Mrs Smith-type dynamic plays out in India Buzz TV (tagline changed to ‘Sabse slow, sabke baad’) as the two overly ambitious professionals try to get better interviews and scoops.

In what can be called a hilarious turn of events, Ashu and Nikki (both of whom just can't stand each other), are asked to co-anchor the prime time slot. Their boss Panchal (Pankit Thakker, who plays with Fidget spinners to release stress), gives them an ultimatum when their shenanigans sabotage a live show: They must work together for the foreseeable future.

Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega: Performances

A breaking news idea around fake marriage registration intrigues these two entertainment journalists as they plan a sting operation, in which the two bribe a government official to issue a fake marriage certificate. Little do they know, the certificate is issued and the two are legally married (much to the dismay of Nikki’s NRI fiance who is obsessed with Gucci, Prada and other unpronounceable luxury brands).

Will Nikki and Ashutosh be able to navigate this marriage? More importantly, how will this affect their already complicated professional dynamic? Directed by Ankush Bhatt and written by Ghalib Asad Bhopali, Divorce Ke Liye… has a novel premise. This critic was skeptical about the portrayal of entertainment journalism and newsroom politics, but I am happy to report that the show mostly gets it right.

Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega: Writing And Direction

At one point, when Nikki walks into the office, a message reading “Stree aa rahi hai” circulates on office WhatsApp groups. Of couNikki'atins boyfriend is called ‘Sarkata’. The many movie references are fun to watch (and quite relevant since the show is mostly based on the movie business). At one point, Nikki's mother suggests a story on Heteropaternal Supendification to which she replies “That's Bad Newzz”.

In another scene, Ashutosh cracks a joke on Mr India and a real-life ‘Tinder scam’ where women lure rich men on dating apps into restaurants and rip them off via exorbitant bills. The references to real-life scams, popular celebrities and Bollywood blockbusters give a pulpy feel to the show.

Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega: What Works, What Doesn't

The humour in the show is simply phenomenal. This critic had completely forgotten just how long it has been since he last saw jokes written in everyday, spoken Hindi work so well. At one point, when Ashutosh joins Nikki in the office elevator, he says “Main bhool gaya…aap logon ko upar jaata dekh nahi sakti” as she retorts “Meri tumhe ekdum upar bhejne ki planning hai”.

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Rishabh Chadha might have delivered a breakout OTT performance of the year. His comic timing is impeccable. Both Jain and Chadha create fiery, crackling chemistry on-screen and convince you that they can be both lovers and professional rivals. At one point, Ashutosh (Chadha) tells Nikki (Jain): “You need a bright, young brain to exploit. I am the perfect candidate”, which seems like a dig on how Editors often exploit young journalists driving them to breaking point.

What does not work for the show as much is that is gets predictable in the later episodes. Of course, Ashu and Nikki will try to get a divorce (it is right there in the title!) but not succeed. This will obviously sabotage their personal relationships and eventually, no news channel will hire them unless they join as a team. Regardless, Divorce Ke Liye… offers a novel premise, fresh humour and at seven bite-sized episodes, is immensely bingeable.

Star rating: 3 / 5 stars

All episodes of Divorce Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega are now streaming on ZEE5.