| Director | Debbie Rao |
| Written By | Anuradha Tiwari, Bugs Bhargava Krishna, Raghav Dutt, Manjiri Vijay |
| Adapted From | Asmara’s Summer by Andaleeb Wajid |
| Cast | Anushka Sen, Kush Jotwani, Tanvi Azmi, Shishir Sharma, Shruti Seth, Suhasini Mulay, Vishakha Pandey, Revathi Pillai, Elisha Mayor |
| Episodes | 7 |
| Genre | Young-adult, Coming-of-age Drama |
– No Spoilers –
When Asmara’s bratty attitude lands her straight from her Canada plans to Tibbri Road, she ends up heartbroken and in a completely unfamiliar situation with her grandparents. However, this might just be what she needs to get her priorities in order!
Dil Dosti Dilemma is that cute show that makes you smile thanks to its simplicity and emotions. Our spunky protagonist Asmara is a brat in every way and she stumbles around a little while she gets her privilege checked in the “ancient” home of her grandparents. Although the amenities aren’t the best, there’s a whole lot of love and smiles as Asmara tries to figure out the things that truly matter in her life.
YA shows are always dicey. Big Girls Don’t Cry was a weird watch and most shows don’t make us relate to them. However, Prime Video’s newest venture has a beating heart that is hard to ignore and takes its time to bring it to our attention and draw a warm picture of the people and relationships in the chaotic streets of Tibbri Road. It’s the relationships that make everything so bright in this drama. But, it’s also the old-timey buildings, roads, colours and the delectable food that catch our eye in every moment.
All of the supporting characters in this story are the heart of the show, in my opinion. Although the protagonist is obviously Asmara, her grandparents’ understanding and love, her neighbour’s warmth and the general life of Tibri Road are hard to ignore. I loved watching Tanvi Azmi and Shishir Sharma’s chemistry, they are so charming together that it makes your heart warm in every scene. Her asking him to apologise and his resigned sorry-s are so cute and wholesome!
However, let’s come to the girls. For some reason, we have been watching shows these days that showcase rich youngsters being rich youngsters without rhyme or reason. They hardly have character growth and are mostly so grating that they are hard to watch. Asmara and her friends are exactly that way at first but they get some character growth and subtlety that young women are usually not given in this dramatic YA shows. Although Asmara is not palatable at first, she has hints of good in her abrasive behaviour that come out as the show progresses.
Anushka Sen is stunning, bubbly and watchable as the young woman who stands up for what is right but sometimes forgets her surroundings while doing so. I thought the creators went a bit over the top with what she can and cannot do but I guess a wealthy family background is some sort of a superpower that makes life easier and much more attainable. All the women’s stories, although sweet, feel very out of touch with reality and although they really tried to make their storylines relatable (which they sometimes are), I couldn’t help but wonder how easy life is when you have someone to call to get your water tumbler filled.
Either way, Dil Dosti Dilemma does try to balance the girls’ privileges with the roadblocks that they face. They mostly fail in that aspect because it still feels a little tone-deaf but I must say that Asmara’s antics do put a smile on your face, so there’s that. I also thought that the pacing was really rushed, with a ton happening in quick progression and most not getting the time that they should. Maybe shaving down some of the insanity would’ve been nice but then it wouldn’t have been a YA drama either. Weirdly enough, however, the series ends on a cliffhanger wherein it answers none of the questions that it starts out asking.
This is a problem that I have noticed with shows these days. Cliffhangers are fine, but you have to ask new and more interesting questions after answering the original ones to keep us hooked. Leaving us without answers after multiple episodes feels like a fraud. Also, there are many moments where the dialogue doesn’t match what the actors are saying which feels really odd.
In the end, though, the movie does make us feel warm and fuzzy and makes us want to hug our loved ones tight. Although it uses convenience to add 2 and 2, it’s nice to watch a show that doesn’t make you think entirely too much.
Dil Dosti Dilemma Review: Final Thoughts
Although nothing out of this world, there is an innocence and a charm in this series that makes us smile. Yes, it’s convenient and unnecessarily dramatic sometimes but it’s still a cute watch and with a 30-minute per episode, you do tend to forget the cringy moments a bit. Its biggest flaw is its unnecessary cliffhanger that ends the series suddenly but it gets its messaging right most of the time and with heartfelt performances, it doesn’t leave us too angry.
Dil Dosti Dilemma is streaming on Prime Video.