Raat Jawaan Hai: A slice of life, buddy-comedy take on modern day parenting

Raat Jawaan Hai is that once-in-a-while, feel-good show that teaches us the art of coming-of-age while making an entire young generation of parents feel seen and heard simultaneously! 

Experiencing big films onscreen has become more about the extravaganza and chase of larger-than-life action while OTT has primarily become more of a ground for exploring thrillers and mysteries. And even though this genre keeps you on the edge to be heavily invested in 'content', the dearth of heartwarming shows is always felt around where life isn't just imitated but encapsulated in a way that you feel seen and heard. And in this day and age of trend-following, it seems like a tall order for this expectation to be fulfilled. Hence, while we get some respite with shows like Gullak or Panchayat that are lighthearted and heartfelt, they don't fulfil the need to be understood or represented. In that case, Raat Jawaan Hai, penned by writer Khyati Anand Puthran and brought to life by director Sumeet Vyas, is a breath of fresh air that fills this gap of exploring and understanding the complicated emotions of the modern-day urban life of young parents without spoonfeeding reckonings! 

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Call it Little Things or What the Folks for new parents, this Dice-media style approach of making a show about three young parents balancing the art of taking care of their growing kids while learning to grow up themselves is the delicious concoction that we were waiting for! The gaze of the eight-episode series is fixated on the lives of three childhood best friends, Avinash (Barun Sobti), Radhika (Anjali Anand), and Suman (Priya Bapat), living in their urbanized, corporate-style households in Mumbai with their toddlers and spouses who run the household. Their privilege is depicted by stay-at-home moms or dads, nannies, work-from-home, startups, staycation and more such things dominating their lives. However, they are just privileged enough so the show doesn't become a funny, guilty pleasure parody and remains an organic representation of parenting!

Here is how it balances the art of storytelling with a refreshing approach and a beating heart! 

Utilizing the art of genre storytelling to say things without spoonfeeding!  

Mostly, every buddy-comedy film (originated by Dil Chahta Hai) ends up with the same bittersweet bits where, as the end credits roll, you are left wondering what happens ahead. Raat Jawaan Hai seems to be the answer as it follows the usual trajectory of three childhood friends and their ever-changing dynamics into a journey of childish naivety growing up in the face of realization of mature reality only with a twist of having three married best friends with toddlers as protagonists. It's a 'married life met coming-of-age' tale where casual late-night ice-cream scenes, cigarette sesh at bus stands, afternoon picnics in parks and road trips to pick up nannies become the new way of connection and reflection with age-old friends. 

The feel-good factor of the show lies in its depiction of life being lived! 

Even though the hum-drums of the buddy-comedy genre are visible when we see the three struggle with their dilemmas of stay-at-home moms and dads, it's the realization that life is about living through conflicts with or without happy-ending actualization that makes the show so wholesome! In fact, the feel-good factor of Raat Jawaan Hai is derived from it because when we see Avi, Radhika and Suman tussle with going back to corporate life, letting go of their children, class indifference, sex after children, living with in-laws and basically struggling with the balance of being a man and woman in this world with this new heightened sense of being dads and moms, it puts the humans in parents and the realization that living life as an adult is often about hanging in there.

It's the little things that matter! 

Society tells people they "grow up" when they become parents, but we rarely see how that journey unfolds or feels like. It's like women being told that once they become mothers, that motherly feeling will follow, but nobody talks about what entails it. This show puts that into perspective! When we see the trio struggle with the idea of losing themselves in the process of being loving, sensitive parents to toddlers who demand their full attention, they suddenly become the eyes and ears of young new parents who, despite their tired, demanding lives, run at the first cry of their child. For instance, Radhika’s overprotectiveness stems from growing up without a mother, Suman's struggles with self-worth arise from living under the scrutiny of her mother and elder sister, and Avi’s tussle with balancing fatherhood and masculinity is shaped by his experience of growing up with a toxic father. All this gets voiced out slowly as the three navigate their daily lives! 

The show's pace and comedy derive its organic meaning! 

The show's flow is derived from its grounded reality and rootedness, where the pace of the eight episodes is designed to follow the thumb rule of growing up as it slowly grows from being the utmost hilarious take on new-age parenting to a heartwarming tale about new parents like when it talks about a new forming relationship with old age parents, with oneself or confronting deep buried issues in long-lasting friendships! Even the comedy of the show is derived from focusing on the small details where misunderstanding over a dildo as a massager, a heist like planning just to see a new Avengers movie, instant reaction to accidental pregnancy news, and some misunderstandings with others lead to comedic situations only to lead to a newfound sense of meaning. 

The talented cast beautifully essays the deliciously grey characters! 

The trio, along with their spouses and extended interactions, illustrates how childhood friendships can endure everything. These friends navigate life with toddlers whether by coincidence or design, and their mutual understanding deepens over time. They are a well-established group of friends who have undergone personal changes, but how their stories unfold the eclectic chemistry between Barun, Anjali, and Priya, makes us feel like we’ve known them as long as they’ve known each other. Parenthood has clearly transformed each one of them, as Radhika, once a loud-mouthed extrovert, has become an overcaring mother, Avi, previously a flirt, has grown into a committed, sensitive father, and Suman, the once reluctant introvert, has evolved into a sort of rebellious mother.

Yet, despite these changes, the show doesn’t lose sight of who they were at their core. Radhika’s 'main character' vibe with a robust and assertive personality is delicately balanced by Anjali Anand's portrayal of her, making her more than just an overbearing presence. Avi’s harmless flirtatious charm is solidified in Barun Sobti's captivating performance that turns Avinash into the greenest flag of fatherhood—one that we'd all aspire to become, and Suman’s hesitant nature is thoughtfully developed by Priya Bapat, who gives her a quiet strength, portraying her not as weak, but as someone struggling to assert herself while trying to keep everyone around her happy.

This is how this heartwarming show on modern-day parenting becomes a heartfelt love letter to the art of growing up that doesn't seem to stop throughout the various stages of life, showing us that being an adult means realizing that life is just a series of 'beginnings' not 'ends'. With the innocence of a child and maturity of an adult, Raat Jawaan Hai becomes the ultimate act of the hopeful survival of friendship and childishness in the face of harsh truths of adulting! 

Raat Jawaan Hai is currently streaming on SonyLIV! 

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