Summary
Masaba Masaba is worth a small shout — it has potential and with a slightly better story structure it may mean a more firm second season.
This review of Netflix’s Masaba Masaba season 1 contains zero spoilers. The comedy-drama series was released on August 28, 2020.
We recapped every episode – check out the archive.
I’ve gone headfirst into this series without knowing anything about Masaba or Neena, the mother and daughter who have enjoyed their fair share of an entertainment career. In Masaba Masaba, the women play a version of themselves, embarking on a fictional world that represents them. While this is not a factual representation, it can be assumed that some aspects of the story, coupled with their creative input, has some contributing factor to their own lives.
There’s always a risk when celebrities take on a version of themselves in a fictional setting; there’s a question on whether it can work from an acting perspective or if the show becomes too much about their own ego. Netflix’s Masaba Masaba does not give that impression; it feels like a run-of-the-mill comedy-drama about a mother-daughter who have their own struggles while displaying their relationship with each other. Of course, the mother-daughter aspect feels natural — how can it not but at the same time, it works on the screen.
As a concept, it’s easy to see why Masaba Masaba season 1 may work for the prying fans, however, the series does suffer from lacklustre episodes early on. It struggles to get the engine moving, and clumsily pairs plot points together to get to a conclusive point. For what the story is, it’s not worth the convoluted approach and a simple, storyboard would have benefit from the first half of the season. However, at only 6 episodes, it’s not like audiences will feel betrayed by Masaba Masaba as the time investment is not heavy and it just passes the acid test.
The selling point of Masaba Masaba is its own advice on self-confidence. From the first episode, Masaba is buckled with marriage problems and the story goes on a rollercoaster of low self-esteem and growing in self-confidence. It’s a story of bouncing back and overcoming pain but from the perspective of a perceived famous person. So while it’s relatable from the view of Masaba trapped in her own home, experiencing judgement from loved ones and peers, it also has the whiff of privilege that a breakup in public means a lot of outside pressure.
Masaba Masaba is worth a small shout — it has potential and with a slightly better story structure it may mean a more firm second season.
