There is much in Oops! Ab Kya? that continues to linger till the cliff-hanger in the final episode. And yet, there's a great deal about the show that doesn't quite come together, observes Mayur Sanap.
The way I see it, there are two broad categories in the current OTT space: One that allows creating something truly innovative and original and the second is basically the replacement for television.
Oops! Ab Kya?, an official adaptation of the American telenovela Jane The Virgin, which itself was a re-work of a Venezuelan show of the same name, fittingly belongs to the second category.
The Indian adaptation mostly stays loyal to the original premise and characters, and tweaks things just a little to suit Indian sensibilities. It is mostly fluff, no real substance to hold your attention during its seven-episode runtime.
Roohi (Shweta Basu Prasad) is a career-driven woman whose life takes a turn when a doctor mistakenly artificially inseminates her during a check-up.
The biological father turns out to be Samar (Aashim Gulati), who is Roohi's former crush and the owner of a plush hotel where she works.
This new development creates tension between Roohi and her long-committed detective boyfriend Omkar (Abhay Mahajan), who eventually supports her.
While Roohi adjust to motherhood and pregnancy with the help from her single mother (Sonali Kulkarni) and grandmother (Apara Mehta), she is in predicament whether her child would find an ideal family in Samar and his fiancée Alisha (Amy Aela).
By the end of the first episode, a shocking murder occurs during a party at Samar's hotel, which introduces a murder investigation subplot.
While the original show spanned across five seasons and 100 episodes, the first season of this new adaptation is condensed into seven episodes that unpack several subplots and characters.
Different genre elements like comedy, romance, family, love triangle, satire and murder mystery are thrown into a mix. This results in a show that feels rushed as it struggles to find a balance between its many tonal shifts.
The performances suffer and can barely move from the cheesy soap opera appeal.
The show manages to find some heartfelt moments when the Gujarati duo of mother and grandmother, played with gusto by Sonali Kulkarni and Apara Mehta, take centrestage.
The treatment of their relationship allows the show to breath a little, with Shweta Basu Prasad also pulling her might as the third wheel.
Their dynamic is similar to what Renuka Shahane depicted in her directorial Tribhanga with Kajol, Tanvi Azmi, and Mithila Palkar. But these moments are only short-lived as the show rushes towards its next plot twist.
Certain scenes are laced with Dil Dhadakne Do-style voiceover which often highlights the current emotional state of the characters. It is part distracting, part annoying and a whole lot of unnecessary.
Overall, there is much in Oops! Ab Kya? that continues to linger till the cliff-hanger in the final episode. And yet, there's a great deal about the show that doesn't quite come together.
What's next? Definitely, season two. I may not like to tune in for the second time though.
Oops! Ab Kya? streams on Jio+Hotstar.
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