Ishq Next Door Episodes 1 and 2 Review: The new JioCinema original series directed by Akhilesh Vats, follows the life of a young man catching feelings for the girl next door. The series’ main cast includes Abhay Mahajan as Dev, Natasha Bharadwaj as Meher, Purav Jha as Chuttan, Mrinal Dutt as Ashwin, Gopi Desai as Dev’s mother, and other actors. Each episode from the 10-part series will be released daily and the runtime of the episodes will be approximately 20 minutes.
– Ishq Next Door Episodes 1 and 2 Review Contains Mild Spoilers –
Ishq Next Door Episodes 1 and 2 Review
A movie/series where the main lead falls head over heels for their neighbour isn’t new. As the title subtly hints Ishq Next Door is a story about a responsible office-going man whose chaotic life feels a bit creative after his heart beats for the neighbourhood’s fashionista. When he thinks he has a chance, the girl’s ex returns. These sorts of love triangles, again, are out there in most rom-com series. Then what makes this particular series quite fresh? Well, the chaotic neighbourhood that’s presented here.
Apart from the main lead’s love story, the director shows more about Dev’s community, which represents diverse cultures. We have a section of people who arrange poojas for the community, annoying rich people, typical Indian aunties who nag youngsters, naughty teenagers drooling over their crushes, etc. These people are the main reason why the series is decent enough to work out.
Quite Humourous
Any story with desi aunties cannot fail to give a good laugh. That said, indeed, Ishq Next Door is boosted with comedy due to the ladies who dramatically cause tension. From Dev’s mother, who wishes nothing but marriage for her son, to other neighbourhood aunties who are in need of gossip, the series has some relatable comedy moments.
Here and there, the humour part falls on Dev as well whenever he confronts his mischievous younger brother. Along with that, the moments where he turns completely shy whenever he comes across the girl next door, are quite chuckle-some.
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Love Triangle
As I previously mentioned, the series has a love triangle. Meher, who used to be in love with Ashwin, ended things with him because she wasn’t okay with long-distance relationships. Over the course of time, she built herself and had a good glow-up. Just when Dev believed that he had his chances with her, Ashwin returns, and this time, he looks hotter than ever.
Dev, who has had his bad past with Ashwin, walks away, but Meher seems to be neutral between both of them (as of now). Let’s be honest; obviously, Meher will fall for Dev, because that’s how stories will work out. Hence, introducing the third person of the love triangle right away in the second episode seems like a hasty move. The creator could have let things work between Meher and Dev before allowing Ashwin to cause tension. The plot is predictable, but the cast is doing a neat job, so for the sake of their efforts, one can stream the series.
Casting is Good
Yes, so far in these two episodes, each of the actors executed their roles in a reasonable manner. Nobody exaggerated, put on a show, or failed to impress, and that’s a good thing. The series feels relatable as we have an insight into a middle-class guy’s life between his troublesome yet cute family and the annoying yet good community.
One particular character is Dev’s younger brother, the naughty pal. His mischievous acts end Dev in trouble, but that’s the best thing about siblings’ relationships. Additionally, this young boy has a crush, and his extreme actions to please her are a jolly-good thing to watch.
Ishq Next Door Episodes 1 and 2: Final Thoughts
One can’t judge much with just two episodes, but thankfully, Ishq Next Door looks like an entertainer. Though it has certain repetitive concepts, with the help of the new cast and the additional storylines, director Akhilesh Vats has escaped heavy criticism.
Ishq Next Door is streaming on JioCinema. Let us know your thoughts on this series in the comment section.
Thank you Taniya 🙂 Third episode has now released. Please do watch if possible! 🙂