What The Hell Navya Review: Too Superficial

The three women, because of their names and position, would get the eyeballs anyway, but if they do not rise above the superficial, it would be a wasted opportunity to reach out to and inspire women in particular, observes Deepa Gahlot.

The concept is a fan magnet.

If people are to listen to a show discussing various issues, they would obviously pick one with celebrities over the clutter of content in the podcast world.

Most people tune in to podcasts when they are commuting, so they are not expecting an in-depth show. So as a podcast, What The Hell Navya worked just fine, with Navya Naveli Nanda, her mother Shweta Bachchan Nanda and grandmother Jaya Bachchan chatting.

But when the same thing is converted to video, that people have to sit down to watch, it needs more work.

On Season 2 of What The Hell Navya, the three women are seated on couches in what looks like a living room set. There is a casual, unscripted vibe, and no director credited, so the three women must have put it together as it came along.

Just one episode has dropped, a new one will be added every Thursday, and each time, there will be a new topic up for discussion, with Navya steering the conversation with questions and observations from the 'today's generation' point of view.

The first subject is Women At Work, not something they know much about, though they are all career women. They are, as they admit, privileged, so they do not actually face the problems and obstacles that ordinary women do.

Still, when Jaya Bachchan mentions how in her time, there were no other women on a film's crew, except the hairdresser, and how sets are full of women now, there was a chance here to elaborate.

For instance, not many viewers would know that women were now allowed to be make-up artistes, and that union rule had to be challenged in court.

In a print interview, Sharmila Tagore had revealed that there were no loos provided for women, and even in the major studios, toilets were filthy.

It would have been interesting to hear from the senior actress, her experience over the years.

Or for Navya to talk about the challenges she overcame as an entrepreneur and activist.

Navya and Shweta are silver-spoon kids but everything must not have come to them easily. If it did, that'a perspective to share too.

Instead, they make some banal comments on work culture and changing mindsets and the importance of financial independence.

The show could have done with a bit of research.

It was both surprising and amusing for Navya to say that she did not know that her grandmother produced television serials, including the successful Dekh Bhai Dekh.

Navya again passes up the opportunity to get her to talk about what it was like to be a producer in a then totally male-dominated field.

It is not common knowledge what Shweta does in terms of a full time career, but when she says motherhood is a thankless job, there was scope for discussion there.

When the three just banter, the show perks up, like Navya saying that there is a word Jaya-ness coined following all the memes her grandmother features in for her stern look and behaviour.

'You are a pop culture phenomenon,' Navya comments, which is surely an exaggeration. Jaya Bachchan rather sportingly says she wouldn't mind the memes if they were done well.

It is too early to say how the episodes will turn out but from this one, it looks like no great soul-searching is going to take place.

Still, when Jaya Bachchan says that more than her son (Abhishek Bachchan), Shweta is her strength, that's perhaps a moment of unguarded honesty.

What The Hell Navya could do with more of that.

The three women, because of their names and position, would get the eyeballs anyway, but if they do not rise above the superficial, it would be a wasted opportunity to reach out to and inspire women in particular.

Offline, Navya runs a non-profit organisation, supporting the cause of gender equality. Why not bring some of that fire into the show?

This is not to say that just aiming at entertaining audiences with a light-hearted show is not right but adding some layers would make the time and effort put into it worthwhile.

What The Hell Navya streams on Navya Naveli Nanda's YouTube channel.