'Do You Wanna...' review: Tamannaah dominates Prime Video's generic series
What's the story
Dharmatic Entertainment's Do You Wanna Partner, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is led by Tamannaah Bhatia and Diana Penty. Created by Mithun Gongopadhyay and Nishant Nayak, the comedy series focuses on two entrepreneurs' relentless struggle to build a beer brand from the ground up. The show is pleasant, well-shot, and funny in parts, but it fails to fully tap into its potential.
Plot
Two women prove their mettle in a male-dominated industry
Shikha (Bhatia) and Anahita (Penty) take a gamble and start a beer venture, meeting several cynics throughout their journey. For Shikha, the business is an opportunity to carry forward her father's legacy, while Anahita is itching to prove herself after facing sexism at her previous job. Anahita's financial acumen marries Shikha's business vision, giving birth to their beloved brand, Jugaroo.
#1
Positives: Bhatia steals the show and how!
Bhatia waltzes through the series with effortless ease, and she is the most assured and believable character out of the ensemble. She dominates every frame, and over the course of eight episodes, you understand her ambition, ache, and unending drive to succeed in an industry unapologetically dominated by men. She also gets some tender, loving scenes with Rannvijay Singha, who plays her boyfriend.
#2
More on the performances
The Traitors fame Sufi Motiwala, who plays Anahita's brother, is surprisingly effective and refreshing in his brief yet significant part. The series also finds its strength in the extensive experience of its supporting cast: Jaaved Jafferi, Neeraj Kabi, and Shweta Tiwari receive meaty (albeit over-the-top) roles. Even when the story slips and the show runs out of oxygen, the actors make you keep watching.
#3
Underlines the rampant sexism in workplaces
Do You... makes some crucial points about the sexism women continue to battle in workplaces. A key point is the absolute disregard that Shikha and Anahita face from male investors; their gender dictates the way society perceives them. The series traces their journey from being told "achhi ladkiyon ke liye ye business nahi hai" to successfully dominating the market within weeks.
#4
Negatives: All characters are half-baked
While the series is always watchable, you can sense that it sometimes struggles to make sense of itself. Characters randomly pop up with little to no backstory; some characters have a disproportionate screentime, such as Nakuul Mehta's Bobby, who works for Shikha and Anahita, and Singha's Kabir. Also concerning is the many loopholes that plague the show. In Dharma projects, logic is often secondary.
#5
Feels a bit too artificial
The lead protagonists call each other "Mak" and "Shakes," and most characters have names and personalities that exist only in projects like these! Everything feels too artificial and curated, like scrolling an Instagram feed, and the show lacks the realism and rawness that OTT demands. Bobby's character, particularly, is weirdly written, almost as if he were a last-minute addition to the script.
#6
Struggles when it tries to become intense and dramatic
Toward the end, the show shifts toward an emotional, dramatic zone. Since the series is mostly a light-hearted comedy, the sudden shift to drama and intense emotional sequences doesn't sync well with the larger tone. Another aspect that holds the project back is its convenient, easy resolutions. So, whenever Shikha and Anahita face a problem, we know a resolution is coming two scenes later.
Verdict
Watchable, but could have been better; 2.5/5 stars
DYWP is watchable due to Bhatia's committed performance and Kabi's convincing portrayal of a business tycoon who'll go to any lengths to defeat Jugaroo. Dharma's stamp is all over the show, in costumes, music, and dialogues, but once the project runs out of ideas, there's no salvaging it. With better writing, layered characters, DYWP could have been far more polished and binge-worthy. 2.5/5 stars.