Qubool Hai 2.0 premiered on 12th March 2021 on Zee5. Directed by Glen Barretto and Ankush Mohla, the 10-episode long series stars Surbhi Jyoti and Karan Singh Grover as the leading pair alongside other cast members.
The Same Old
It seems like the Indian television industry will never get tired of playing the same story in shapes and forms over and over again. Back in 2012, Qubool Hai released on Zee TV and went on for 856 episodes till 2019 and starred the same leading pair. And here we are again in 2021 watching the same cycle painted in a slightly different colour. 8 years back, Qubool Hai did cater to a huge market and stood against a lot of stereotypes concerning Islam and gained a lot of recognition and love. But the idea of the series paving its way once again to OTT seems pretty pointless as you know what is rolling down your way.
Qubool Hai 2.0 brings in various old characters aiming to tap into the nostalgia fountain, I believe, and it might as well work for the series if you’re a fan. There are some old character habits that are brought back to like Asad’s chauvinism and idgaf as such attitude and Zoya’s ‘allah miyan what’s wrong with you’ and uncalled for oh-so-witty replies. Some things don’t change maybe.
While Qubool Hai 2.0 features a lot of familiar moments and faces, this is also one of the points that’ll make you not watch the series because everything here is done before and seen before. Damini Sood, Mandira Bedi’s character, who is India’s leading security agent, seems to have just stepped out of a sci-fi movie/project. Cliché hairstyle, white lab coat, and of course her secret chamber, it actually gets non-sensical and funny after a point.
There is not much to talk about here although the series is 10-episodes long. Ever since Karan Singh Grover got back on OTT platforms, he has been carrying just one expression and it’s here to stay. The death stare with a well-built body has now moved from being intimidating and intense to ah, here we go again. In terms of the storyline, the series already gave away everything in its trailer (spoiler!). Not like there was anything absolutely new but well.
In an interview regarding Qubool Hai 2.0 Singh Grover said the following “Qubool Hai did break stereotypes eight years ago and once again it will start conversations. The backdrop of the story will center around the lead couple. This time, the stakes are much much higher for Asad and Zoya and the scale is international. But the show will also reminisce the ethos of the original series to maintain the legacy of Asad and Zoya.”
Leading me to question the ‘legacy’ of Zoya and Asad! Qubool Hai 2.0 could have been a breath of fresh air or a repetitive comfort daily soap for Zoya and Asad stans (the amount of Zoya and Asad edits making rounds on the internet is adorably crazy, tsk!) but the series has utilized its lead pair for almost 8 years and we just know… whodunnit! So, the entire point of the remakes stands failed in front of me as a viewer.
Stream It or Skip It
SKIP IT! Qubool Hai 2.0 is everything you have consumed for years and OTT was supposed to be an escape from the same. A place for new ideas and content but eh! here we are again chasing Zoya and Asad in Belgrade.
Qubool Hai 2.0 is now streaming on Zee5.
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