Decoupled Web Series Review: R Madhavan’s Charm Cannot Save Netflix Show From Jokes That Don’t Land

Decoupled Web Series Review: Decoupled lands several jokes thanks to Madhavan’s charm but it will also make you cringe with second-hand embarrassment. Leading character Arya Iyer seems like the guy who asks questions to break several societal norms in an effort to look cool but he is also seconds away from being the guy who yells at his waiter.

The show starts with Arya Iyer’s introduction, who is known as India’s second-best author after Chetan Bhagat. He is not only ridiculed by his competitors but most of some of his neighbours as an author who does not have class. Meanwhile, Iyer has a different idea of his personality, someone who questions the world in an attempt to break the stereotypical notions of society. Most of his squabbles end up with his wife (Surveen Chawla) and his daughter (Arista Mehta)being embarrassed.

Shruti Sharma played by Surveen is a venture capitalist in Banglore, who is leaving her best life except for the fact that she had to look at her husband every day and pretend to be his wife publicly. Shruti and Arya who have been on the verge of ending their marriage for a while have struck a deal to remain together until their daughter Roshni can handle the news of their separation.

However, the way things go in the first three episodes it seems like Arya has no intentions of letting Shruti go. He often makes illogical excuses to stay together and tries to bed her whenever he feels like it, despite them having no relationship at all. Decoupled at times is one dialogue away from turning into a horror show. Other times, writer Manu Joseph takes the leap and gives Madhavan a dialogue that will make you cringe enough to pause the show and go out for a walk.

Decoupled Web Series Review:

Decoupled has also managed to be self-aware of how toxic it is, but makes no efforts to address it. One of the subplots of the show follows Arya trying to crack a deal with Netflix but keeps calling out the platform for being progressive and appointing female leads or not progressive enough to understand his viewpoint. The rest of the show is just the same, Arya not only contradicts his behaviour in several episodes but rarely gets a chance to be himself in the first place. Most of the characters feel like puppets who talk about random incidents and events that have crossed the mind of the show writer Manu Joseph.

The show that mainly seems like a two-hour film has been turned into a mix of a sitcom and Sex and the city format, but it does not work for the best. The few episodes that actually focus on the story at hand, work but not without a bit of worry for Shruti’s safety.

Overall, Decoupled is best skipped, especially if you are Madhavan’s fan. Unfortunately for the show and fortunately for Chetan Bhagat, but his cameos is what works best in the entire Netflix show.