What happens in an Indian household when a couple fights? Their parents interfere, duh! And that’s exactly the premise of Sreejith N’s web series Masterpeace. The show stars Nithya Menen and Sharaf U Dheen in the lead alongside Ashokan, Shanthi Krishna, Maala Parvathy, and Renji Panicker. Oftentimes, we have a habit of making a mountain out of a molehill, and that’s what Masterpeace deals with as well. Here’s our review of this satirical comedy.

A hilarious take on family and relationship dynamics

The series focuses on Ria (Nithya Menen) and Binoy (Sharaf U Dheen). When their respective parents find out that there is a bit of trouble in their married kids’ paradise, Ria’s parents Lisamma (Shanthi Krishna) and Kuriyachan (Ashokan) and Binoy’s parents Aniyamma (Maala Parvathy) and Chandichan (Renji Panicker) decide to drop in for a surprise visit to their children’s house to help solve their marital discord. When everyone gets involved in peace talks, the entire situation turns into a family drama.

Right after both sets of parents drop in, Binoy and Ria’s troubles escalate, and soon, the problems in the parents’ relationships also come to light. While Aniyamma is quick to blame Ria for all the problems in her and Binoy’s marriage, Kuriyachan reinforces patriarchal rules on Ria. While Aniyamma is busy blaming Ria for not having a child and being more loving towards her dog, Coco, Kuriyachan is busy telling her to submit to her husband. In between all of this, nobody really wants to understand what Ria and Binoy want.

The performances highlight the satirical comedy

Masterpeace starts off with a bang, but after a couple of episodes, it gets quite monotonous. Fortunately, the performances hold your attention despite the lag in the story. Nithya Menen is brilliant as the quirky Ria, and she never goes overboard with it. Sharaf U Dheen has mastered the art of comedy and he hits all the right spots. Shanthi Krishna, as Ria’s understanding and composed mother, and Renji Panicker, as Binoy’s equally sympathetic father, are the calm in the eye of the storm. The real storm though is Ashokan, who plays Ria’s father, and Maala Parvathy, who plays Binoy’s mother. They are the linchpin of all the mess and they deliver quite well. You are often left laughing at their antics, while also feeling frustrated about everything they are doing.

While everyone does a great job in their respective roles, the women strongly hold the fort. The dysfunctional relationship between Ria and her mother-in-law Aniyamma is one of the highlights of the series. Masterpeace delves into the generational gap and how difficult it is for older people to break away from their beliefs. The final episode which explores the dysfunctional marriages of both sets of parents, while juxtaposing them against Ria and Binoy’s seemingly troublesome marriage, is the best episode in the series. It clearly shows how Lisamma and Kuriyachan’s marriage, which the latter boasts about, is a lot more problematic, compared to Ria and Binoy who understand each other very well and stand together in the face of opposition. Similarly, Aniyamma and Chandichan’s relationship is no bed of roses, but a rather manipulative and controlling one despite them having everything a “perfect” relationship requires – a child.

Instead of preaching to the audience, Masterpeace decides to take the route of over-the-top comedy to deliver its message and that works in its favour. But the series could easily have been a two-hour movie instead of a five-episode series. That would have allowed for a crisper storyline and a little more impact.

Masterpeace is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

Can you watch Masterpeace with your family?: Of course, you can. Be ready for some gyaan by the parents and a whole lot of laughter.

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