Raat Jawaan Hai review: A well-made, relatable show about urban parenting

One has not seen a lot of shows being made on adult friendships. There has also been a dearth of content on urban parenting. ‘Raat Jawaan Hai’, the new Sony LIV series directed by Sumeet Vyas, explores both these themes. The show, featuring Barun Sobti, Anjali Anand and Priya Bapat, has just started streaming on the platform.

Radhika (Anjali Anand), Avinash (Barun Sobti) and Suman (Priya Bapat) have been friends since childhood. Each of them has a distinctive personality. While the outspoken Radhika speaks before she thinks, Suman is innocent and has a calm demeanour. Avinash, who quit his job a few months back, is a stay-at-home dad who is enjoying this phase of his life. In the adult phase of their lives, these parents bond over their duties as parents.

The series spans five episodes and each episode has a duration of around thirty minutes. With each episode, you get a deeper insight a relatively young parent, living in an urban society, goes through in today’s times. The makers have done a good thing by not only showcasing a female perspective but also giving a glimpse of the kind of emotions stay-at-home dads go through. While the show has a breezy tone to it, it makes sure that the important issues are addressed. In one of the episodes, the series masterfully depicts what a mother from another social milieu goes through while trying to raise a family.

Some of the conflicts, however, have been inserted forcefully into the narrative to add a sense of drama. In the last episode, one gets a sense that an attempt was made to wrap up the story in a rush. If there is another season, one would like to know how the lives of these modern-day parents evolved and how they managed to keep their friendship intact while striking a balance between familiar responsibilities and personal ambitions.

The show benefits greatly from some sparkling performances. Barun Sobti shows the joviality and vulnerability of Avinash equally well. Anjali Anand delivers a highly confident performance as Radhika. Priya Bapat is dependable as Suman. Priyansh Jora is very good. Vikram Singh Chauhan does well as Sattu. Hasleen Kaur leaves a mark despite limited screen time.

The biggest strength of ‘Raat Jawaan Hai’ lies in the strength that it depicts urban parenting in a very authentic manner. While humour has been used as a tool throughout the narrative, the director ensures the show never goes over-the-top or employs any method or tool that makes the audience get disconnected from the narrative.