Do You Wanna Partner Review: Tamannaah Bhatia and Diana Penty shine in a spirited, women-led entrepreneurial comedy-drama

Do You Wanna Partner

‘Do You Wanna Partner,’ directed by Archit Kumar and Collin D’Cunha, began streaming on Prime Video from 12th September and stars Diana Penty, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jaaved Jaaferi, Neeraj Kabi, Nakuul Mehta and Sufi Motiwala.

A show about two aspiring female entrepreneurs determined to make their mark in the beer industry sounds like perfect pitch material, especially as conversations around self-made success continue to trend and shows like ‘Shark Tank’ grow in popularity.

Breaking the glass ceiling

‘Do You Wanna Partner’ rides on two stellar performances by its leads—Tamannaah Bhatia and Diana Penty—and begins as a tale of passion. It then blends in filmy elements that require suspension of disbelief, misses a couple of beats mid-season, and closes with a decent climax.

More than anything, this Prime Video series is a triumph of content driven by women protagonists, moving beyond mere discourses on gender parity. It glorifies the hustle, portrays flawed protagonists as human, and avoids the trap of standardized cliffhanger endings. Although, the nicknames of its protagonists feel like a stretch, even by millennial and Gen Z standards.

Friends and bold new venture

Shikha, aka Shakes (Tamannaah Bhatia), a successful marketing head at a beer brand, loses her job and is forced to confront childhood trauma when beer shark Vikram Walia (Neeraj Kabi), modelled on Vijay Mallya, executes a hostile takeover.

Determined to strike out on her own, she also seeks closure for her father’s stolen craft beer recipe, once brewed in a Kolkata garage. She ropes in her best friend, Anahita Makujina, aka Mak (Diana Penty), a star employee often dismissed as just the pretty face.

The two childhood friends live the classic Gurgaon corporate life of “work hard, party harder,” frequently at a restaurant owned by Kabir (Rannvijay Singh Singha), a top chef and Shakes’ live-in boyfriend. Shikha’s mother (Ayesha Raza) expresses concern over her daughter’s obsession with reviving her father’s beer but remains silently supportive.

Gurugram to Kolkata—balancing pace and tone

Their entrepreneurial journey is riddled with challenges, the toughest being prejudice from VCs and angel investors for being women. To fund their dream, they mortgage their mothers’ homes, break FDs, and set up shop in Mak’s brother’s design studio (Sufi Motiwala, pitch-perfect as a young Parsi man from Dadar).

Hustling hard, they find an unpredictable brewmaster in single father Bobby Bagga (Nakuul Mehta) and secure funding from Laila (Shweta Tiwari), a woman with criminal ties. Their biggest gamble comes in classic filmy style—conjuring a mysterious NRI billionaire investor with a memory problem, played with comic timing by Javed Jaaferi.

Strong performances and standout characters

Written by a team of experienced creators and screenwriters (Nandini Gupta, Aarsh Vora, and Mithun Gangopadhyay), ‘Do You Wanna Partner’ captures the unapologetic, ambitious, and irreverent vibe of Gurgaon’s youth.

In a time when jobs offer little security, striking out on one’s own has become a credo for many. Both Penty and Bhatia deliver naturalistic performances, convincingly portraying the insecurities of women in a male-dominated industry while chasing their dreams. Mehta, Kabi, and Jaaferi add strong support, with Jaaferi’s comic timing keeping the series lively in midpoint episodes. Motiwala’s effortless charm and Tiwari’s seasoned performance enhance a show filled with convincing characters, including Raza’s measured maternal portrayal. The world that Mak and Shakes inhabit feels real, though at times the less structured narrative slows the pace. While multiple storylines run in parallel, momentum falters when personal insecurities and emotions take over.

Toast to women power

Despite a few episodes with slower pacing and some improbable situations, this show is a solid effort in portraying a topical and real-life Indian experience. As with other Dharmatic Productions, there’s a slightly over-polished, Anglicised sheen in production design and costumes, keeping characters looking flawless. Beyond that, the series places ambition, selfish choices, and the pursuit of dreams by young women at the center of its story. Dialogues flow naturally, and the soundtrack is impressive. Overall, ‘Do You Wanna Partner’ deserves an indulgent and patient viewing, celebrating ambition and friendship while offering an entertaining take on women navigating the corporate and entrepreneurial world.

Rating: 3.5/5