Indian show-makers have always been successful in luring the audience toward television richness. Their themes revolve around explicit wealth showcased with luxurious family mansions, or sometimes through rich textured upholstery. The excellent success of larger-than-life cinema bears testimony to this fact. Made in Heaven is one such example that takes its audience on a reverie spree that embraces the extravagance of upscale Indian weddings. The two-season web series on Amazon Prime made quite a splash by shedding light on the deep-rooted societal issues by revealing the not-so-perfect lives beneath the façade of glitz and fortune.
Made in Heaven Quite Literally
Made in Heaven created by Zoya Akhtar is set in a highly privileged strata of society with the central theme showcasing opulent weddings in India. The wedding planner duo Tara Khanna (Shobhita Dhulipala) and Karan Mehra (Arjun Mathur) navigate through their private lives while executing their challenging work duties. Although the theme of the series revolves around weddings and festivities, viewers aren’t jaded by the monotony of the process. Each wedding has a strong identity for itself. It is portrayed through the writing, the characters, the background score, and undeniably the production design. The designers made a successful attempt at delivering a visually varied look for each wedding and every home.
Bling All Around
The lavish lifestyle is not confined to the wedding venues only but it can also be witnessed through the residential abode of the characters. The Khanna House which is shown quite many times, as it is the residence of the protagonist Tara Khanna, displays a minimalistic style that could translate into a Nouveau Riche scenario. This modern-themed house is dressed in a mixture of family heritage small pieces, old collectibles, large-scale modern furniture and installations, photographs, and enormous artworks. The scale of the windows and doors is massive. Whereas the Sharma house in episode five displays generational wealth, where the furniture and the artifacts all look antique. The home is viewed as inherited wealth.
The Wedding Vows
The wedding venues, along with the bridal couture are aesthetically appealing and carry the audience on a whimsical journey of the rich. Episode five of the series calls out the deep-rooted caste system in the country as it encapsulates the story of embracing one’s identity. Similar to most Buddhist weddings, which have a white theme, the production design team has made an impressive effort to put together a glorious venue with a beige and pearl white color palette while also keeping it authentic.
Episode Six showcases Shenaz and Wasim’s home, which is grand on the same scale as Khanna’s residence. It almost feels like a hotel with its gorgeous razzle-dazzle floors and enormous arched passages. However, the home feels cold and impersonal. The wedding venue adorned with a dark and gold color palette exemplifies the compelling mix of glamour, power, and wealth.
The costumes and colors play a very important role in setting the tone of an episode. The “Warrior Princesses” theme displaying gold and glamor is a visual embodiment of empowerment and love that transcends heteronormative beliefs. Unlike other weddings that boast vibrant colors, this one is relatively dark and silent with a hopeful ombre of gold and shine.
The finale of the season displays an outdoor setting that is not confined to the roof and walls and therefore gives a sense of freedom and freshness to the wedding. It captures a whimsical sense of individualism while emphasizing self-love and the pursuit of dreams.
The Behind the Scenes
‘Made in Heaven’ effectively showcases darker themes like the wealthy Indian obsession with fair skin, the caste system that still prevails amidst the rich, and physical abuse veiled beneath the glimpses of palatial wedding venues, vibrant décor, and other lavish displays of wealth. It is more than a glamorous portrayal of Indian weddings; it pulls up the curtains and shows the real behind-the-scenes of the dysfunctional society. It takes a village to create a series as varied as Made in Heaven, and the makers have done an amazing job by doing so. The meticulous research behind putting together a grand setting while being culturally appropriate is reflected through its characters, the storyline, the costumes, and the production design.
The show has been applauded for effectively handling a lot of issues such as prejudice, patriarchy, financial independence, homosexuality, and infidelity amongst various others. The production design as well as the cinematography boasts a cinematic grandeur as each episode possesses a distinct visual style setting each wedding apart from the other. The splendid decor and color palettes are a visual treat for anyone from the designing domain. In a world where relationships are complex, and love takes many forms, Made In Heaven retells that weddings are not just events but echoes of the human journey.
Bibliography:
Made in Heaven 2 (2023). [Web Series]. India. Amazon Prime streaming platform.
Johar, N. (2023) Behind the drama and cultural contrasts of Made in heaven s2 with production designer Sally White, Architectural Digest India. Available at: https://www.architecturaldigest.in/story/the-splendid-sets-of-made-in-heaven-production-designer-sally-white-takes-us-behind-the-scenes-zoya-akhtar/ (Accessed: 01 April 2024).
Kulkarni, E. (2023) Dissecting the bridal ensembles of ‘made in heaven’ season 2, HELLO! India. Available at: https://in.hellomagazine.com/fashion/20230816303201/bridal-looks-from-made-in-heaven-season-2/ (Accessed: 01 April 2024).
