Broken But Beautiful 3: Sidharth Shukla-Sonia Rathee's top-notch performances deserve to be binge-watched

Season 3 of the much popular romantic web series Broken But Beautiful began streaming on Alt Balaji and MX Player on May 29. Broken But Beautiful 3 has Sidharth Shukla and Sonia Rathee playing the protagonists Agastya Rao and Rumi Desai respectively.

What’s it about:

We’re introduced to Agastya as a narcissist, struggling theatre writer-director who’s very particular about his ‘art’. So much so, that when a hairstylist doesn’t get the hairdo of his play’s actress right, he doesn’t waste a second in snipping off her tresses. Agastya is angry. Very very angry. He detests nepotism, commercial cinema, pseudo-intellectuals and their ‘plastic’ world and is so full of himself that he believes this “mediocre” world doesn’t deserve him.

Rumi on the other hand personifies that very stratum of society that Agastya despises. But that’s not all. Beneath the finesse and polished exterior lies the core of Rumi – an entitled, flawed, obsessive, insecure, attention and validation-seeking 25-year-old whose sole purpose in life is to chase her childhood crush – the love of her life – Ishan (played by Ehan Bhat).

With characters as distinct as these two, it’s evident that there’ll be nothing less than fireworks when they happen to cross paths. Fueled by envy for her London School of Economics topper step sister Maira and her never-ending desire for a nod-for-approval from those around her, Rumi announces that she’ll collaborate with Agastya for his next play. Agastya on the other hand manages to see right through her pretence and actions. Despite being fully aware that all she wants is Ishan, Agastya agrees to play along and finds his muse in her. Rumi starts enjoying the attention and validation she receives from Agastya. She re-discovers herself as he makes her believe that she has something that nobody else does – magic!

Over the course of time, Agastya’s world turns topsy turvy when he ends up falling for her but she doesn’t reciprocate and gets married to Ishan. What follows is a montage of sequences highlighting Agastya’s failed attempts to get over her. These scenes have major Kabir Singh and Rockstar hangover in parts. Agastya finally comes to terms with reality and manages to move on, courtesy – Sakshi Gupta and her personal journey through love and loss. It is at this point that the essence and underlying theme of the entire Broken But Beautiful series through the three seasons, comes to light – It takes two broken hearts to heal one.

What’s Hot:

There are several things that work well for Broken But Beautiful 3. To begin with, Sidharth’s act as the modern-day angry young man is flawless. Those who’ve followed his journey in the popular reality TV show Bigg Boss 13, may find a lot of his mannerisms and angst manifested in Agastya. It seems like a character custom-made for him. Though the actor is back on screen after three years, making his digital debut with the series, it doesn’t seem that he’s been away for so long. He brings a certain rawness to the role which works in his favour. My personal favourite are the portions in the latter half where you get to witness Agastya’s calm and composed demeanour. There’s a lot of thehrav in his performance which helps in presenting the stark change that has been brought about in his personality after he finally got over his love for Rumi. Or did he?

Sonia Rathee, who makes her debut with the series, seems a bit under-prepared but shines in parts as Rumi. Of all the characters in the show, hers is hands down the most layered one. It’s easy to despise her character but Sonia plays Rumi with such sincerity and conviction that you’d end up rooting for her anyway. Ehan Bhatt as Ishan manages to deliver well within the limited scope given to him. Jahnavi Dhanrajgir is quite likeable as Sakshi Gupta and puts up a decent act.

Much like the previous two seasons, it’s the music that elevates BBB 3 to a different level altogether. The title track – Yeh Kya Hua from season one, Boureya and Teri Ho Gaiyaan among others from season two, are peppered throughout the episodes to whip up major nostalgia. All the three tracks from the current season are quite likeable but Kya Kiya Hai Tune – penned by Rashmi Virag, crooned by Armaan Malik-Palak Muchhal and composed by Amaal Mallik, stands out in particular.

Another bonus is a short and sweet special appearance by the OG Broken couple Veer (Vikrant Massey) and Sameera (Harleen Sethi) which will definitely make your heart skip a beat. How we wish they had some more screen time! Special mention to the carefully crafted names of every episode inspired from classic movies like – It Happened One Night, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Fault in Our Stars, La La Land etc.

What’s Not:

Despite the commendable performances, soulful music and a novel theme, Broken But Beautiful 3 is not without flaws. The script lacks the substance of the previous two seasons. It’s the top-notch performances that save the day. There seems to be too much dependency on the narration, rather than the dialogues and emotions. Don’t get us wrong. You’ll find some real gems there but it seems hushed – as if an attempt to pack too much within a single sequence at times. At places, the background score overlaps with the dialogues which becomes irritating. The excessive use of expletives appears forced at several places and could’ve been done away with. Also, we’re all for Agastya’s aggression but it would’ve helped if we knew where it stemmed from.

Final Word:

Watch it for the soulful music and the performances. If you’re looking for some depth, you can always turn to the previous two seasons.