'Maa Ka Sum' review: Mona leads sincere but flawed show
What's the story
Amazon Prime Video's new series Maa Ka Sum is directed by Nicholas Kharkongor and produced by Babita Ashiwal under Eunoia Films. Featuring Mona Singh, Mihir Ahuja, Angira Dhar, and Ranveer Brar in lead roles, it follows a teenager's mission to find love for his single mother. Bolstered by commendable performances, Maa Ka Sum is watchable and pleasant but suffers from a consistent surface-level approach.
Plot
Can Math help you find a compatible partner?
The eight-episode-long series revolves around Agastya (Ahuja), a 19-year-old Math prodigy, who looks at everything through numbers, data, and patterns. When his single mother, Vinita (Singh), struggles to find a suitable partner despite multiple dates, he embarks on "Project Mom" to solve the problem. His new professor, Ira (Dhar), helps him create an algorithm for the ideal match.
#1
Singh gets another opportunity to showcase her range
Singh has had a stunning career resurgence through Bads of Bollywood, Subedaar, Happy Patel, Kohrra, and Munjya, among other popular projects. She gets another meaty, author-backed role in Maa Ka Sum, and the actor is instantly believable as a level-headed but slightly anxious mother who's always on her toes. Her scenes with Ahuja flow naturally, and their easy chemistry lends the series gravitas.
#2
Ahuja does justice to his character
Described as a "prodigy," Agastya has been written as a well-meaning, sensitive, yet deeply flawed teenager. He doesn't understand boundaries, can be too pushy, and prioritizes numbers and data over genuine human emotions. Ahuja (The Archies) is a convincing performer and perfectly portrays the rage, confusion, and helplessness of a man consumed whole by his mathematical obsessions.
#3
However, the story makes some awkward choices
Dhar (Saas, Bahu Aur Flamingo) is a pleasant addition to the ensemble and is fairly convincing as a Math professor. However, as the story progresses, Ira's track becomes clichéd, flimsy, and quite detached from reality. More importantly, a brief romantic subplot between her and Agastya is deeply problematic, yet the series seemingly sees no problem with it.
#4
Lack of depth renders everything and everyone unimportant
After a decent start, the show begins to lose its way, becoming increasingly gimmicky and superficial. Promising plotlines are sidelined to make room for fluff, conflicts are resolved within minutes, and most supporting characters seem caricaturish due to an overall lack of depth. In that aspect, it's similar to Do You Wanna Partner, where everything seemed too artificial and curated, divorced from realism.
Verdict
Watchable, but nothing groundbreaking; 2.5/5 stars
Maa Ka Sum benefits from striking cinematography and real locations (Hauz Khas, Lodhi Art District, etc). Singh keeps you watching, and Ahuja lends her ample support. However, it would have been better had the show scissored out unnecessary tracks (most of which are about Agastya's friends). Ultimately, Maa Ka Sum seems content with its flimsy approach, and that becomes its biggest undoing. 2.5/5 stars.