Spoiler Alert: Secrets Revealed!
I guess that some of you have seen the recently released series, Musafir Café, on Netflix. If you haven’t, do give it a try – good, bad or ugly, it will certainly leave an impression!
I embarked on it by chance, when I saw my husband watching it while having dinner. Let me confess… I am not a series person, not even an OTT person, and I only signed up for Netflix membership to watch Lock Upp Season 2, because of Ritesh Deshmukh, Farah Khan and Ram Kapoor! (Yes, yes, I am amongst the few last humans on this planet to sign up for an OTT platform) Now, since we have the membership, I binged watched lots of Romantic Comedy movies! No series, mind you, although I occasionally indulged in the Bridgerton saga! (Didn’t like it as much as the hype but that story is for another day!) That’s all!
Anyway, Rahul asked me to try it out, as he had just watched a few minutes of Episode 1, and he thought I would like it. Reluctantly, I did, and I was hooked! So much so, that I was compelled to write this lengthy blog!
I completed the entire series in two days, all 8 episodes. Although, I am a sucker for slow romances, this one struck because of the storyline, the dialogues, and the screenplay. Loosely based on the Hindi novel of the same name by Divya Prakash Dubey, the series follows the life of three main characters, Chander Mohan Sharma (Vikrant Massey), Sudha Tripathi (Vedika Pinto) and Preeti Kaushik (Mahima Makwana), from the heat of Bhopal to the cool air of Mussoorie! Writer and creator, Sharanya Rajgopal, has done a fabulous job (disclaimer: I haven’t read the original book, just did some online research) of adapting the novel to an 8-episode series (and longer, if Season 2 is real), by keeping intact the soul of each character, their philosophies and their emotional needs, while adding interesting sub-plots, shifting timelines (to infuse another poignant layer to the slow-burn drama), to ultimately defying the norm (for romantic stories), by ending the season, with a cliff-hanger – leaving the audience wanting more…
I was captivated, because of the writer within me. Overwhelmed with conflicting emotions, I pondered what I would have done, if I had been the screenwriter. Would I have treated the characters differently? Would I have simplified the choices made by the trio? Where would their choices have led?
This blog will not dissect each character, nor state right from wrong, but will be an attempt to speak aloud my impressions and leave you, the readers, with some questions that perhaps you already know, or have answers to (or be the Devil’s advocate). And, if you already haven’t done so, entice you to give Musafir Café a watch!
Sudha Tripathi, a young upcoming divorce lawyer, is the quintessential bubbly girl, pretty, dynamic, full of ambitions and imbued with the determination to fulfil them.
In contrast, the soft, reserved, quiet beauty, Preeti Kaushik, who loves writing and is a popular blogger, runs a unique café on the hills of Mussourie, Musafir Café, dedicated to travelers (tourists), just as the name suggests.
At the centre of the saga, is Chander Mohan Sharma, an introverted ex-software engineer, working in a government job, who is compelled to fulfill his dream of opening a café in a hill-station, along with Preeti.
Sudha and Chander meet through the matrimonial sites and fall in love in 2018. Totally against marriage, but tempted to give love a trial, Sudha moves in with Chander yet does not give up on her aspirations. Chander, almost in disbelief with his luck, plays along, molding himself to her needs. They are happy, even blissful. Before long, a false alarm rings bells in Sudha’s mind, and she lifts the ‘brake pedal’, to return to speeding towards prioritizing her personal goals. Leaving behind a devasted Chander, who had by now lost the plot!
Let me pause here to comment that the younger Vikrant Massey is too pale, which makes him look old and dissipated. I wish they hadn’t fallen into this very common trap of a clean-shaven face to showcase youth, while some of the other usual tropes of a romance novel – an idyllic hill station, a bustling city, soft evocative music and an age-old conflict between the genders – don’t bother me as much, for there needs to be some familiar backdrop for it to fade into the background enough for the story / characters to rise and shine!
Was Sudha too selfish to have chosen her ambitions over love?
Or was Sudha too self-centered to have entered a relationship with Chander (whether emotional or physical, it doesn’t matter) as an experiment?
Does being a ‘modern woman’ mean that one must prioritize career over love, family, children?
As a mother of two (and in her early forties), who has yet to fulfil most of her personal aspirations, my first reaction to Sudha’s decision was envy, which translated to condemning her for her actions. Why did she get into a relationship if she was determined to live alone? Was Chander so stupid to have believed that Sudha would change for him?
I echoed what Chander’s mother asked him, “Can she not fulfill her dreams while being married to you?” (paraphrasing the line).
Then I slept over it, and continued to watch, allowing myself to immerse deeper into the characters, their emotional needs, their convictions, their fears, and their obligations… For fear, fear of change, fear of losing oneself, fear of losing what one had held so dear, for so long, is terrifying for anyone… Let alone a bright, young woman, full of zeal to protect a parent against all odds!
Eight years later, in 2026, Chander has met Preeti and formed a relationship based on love, companionship and common interests, to run their dream café, Musafir Café – a dream which was launched by Sudha and Chander (and which Preeti is well aware of!). Their love is different, mostly expressed through their eyes, and their silences. It is more grounded, less dramatic – however, as they say, calm waters run deep. Preeti knows about Sudha (none of the sordid details, mind you, by her own confession), realises that Chander has never really forgotten her, yet has never confronted him, nor demanded any explanations. Maybe her acceptance is her strength? Maybe not attempting to replace Sudha in Chander’s heart is her way to protect herself? Maybe her premonitions of Sudha visiting Musafir Café, the necessary step towards a closure, reflects the fear of loss?
Nevertheless, the strong, assertive, vocal woman in me screamed at her silence. How can she be so passive, so demure, so positive? Why the sobbing (although done in the privacy of her room) at the sight of Sudha, if she knows her place in Chander’s life? Why let the former stay and ruffle the ripples? Why live in the shadows and insist that she is content? Maybe because, when what one has is so precious, it needn’t be perfect?
However, Rahil – a celebrated author and a frequent visitor to Musafir Café (who also is smitten by Preeti) – doesn’t agree and gently questions her beliefs. Which brings me to two interesting sub-plots – Rahil Qureshi played by Rajeev Siddhartha, and Uncle Mark Abraham played by Adil Hussain.
Rahil appears to be waiting longingly for Preeti to look at him as she does Chander (the latter senses it and might bit a tad bit jealous or insecure – at least that is my feeling). Preeti knows it but prefers to focus only on the friendship. Why? Why not take the opportunity to be with someone who clearly cares and loves you and is not afraid to show it? He knows that she secretly longs to travel but is afraid to leave Chander. He challenges her on every occasion, but she calmly responds, never ever bemoaning the relationship she has, but always finding happiness within it. I vaguely remember watching one of those big Bollywood movies, in which there was a dialogue that said, “It is better to be with someone who loves you, rather than, to be with someone you love!” Well, easier said than done, is what we see!
Uncle Mark clearly loves both Chander and Preeti, while he has met Sudha, on Chander’s first visit to Mussoorie. Evidently, he considers Preeti to be like his daughter, for he urges Chander to meet Sudha, get a closure and marry Preeti!
How is he certain that when Chander meets Sudha, he won’t prefer to be with her (if she is ready and willing)? That question still puzzles me, especially watching the last episode (although I still think the ending is misleading). How is he so certain that Chander values Preeti’s love more than Sudha’s? Not all relationships are like the one he shared with Nilima (Sadiya Siddiqui) which hinged on self-esteem and freedom, and which comes with age and experience. Anyway, I loved an Instagram post which said – ‘You guys can solve the equations between Sudha, Chander and Preeti, but I am still looking for ‘Uncle Mark’ to leave me millions in the form of a bungalow!’ – or something to that effect! It was brilliant! Most of us are, bro, most of us are!
The series was a rollercoaster of emotions, leaving behind a deluge of unanswered queries.
Why did Sudha come back?
Was it to find closure?
Was it to find the motivation to go to Singapore?
Was it because now that her mother was dead (and she had lost a major reason hurling her towards her earlier ambitions) and she had already achieved her goal of opening her own practice, she is looking to rekindle the second-best thing that had happened to her?
What would Preeti do if her fears came true?
What would she do, if they didn’t?
What about her dreams of travelling the world, which she put on hold to be with him?
How does Preeti know Vineet (Sudha’s current boyfriend and partner)?
Both Chander and Sudha have fulfilled the dreams they each had at the time of their break-up. So, do they still need each other?
Do dreams truly evolve?
Even if, Season 2 doesn’t materialize (and a part of me, doesn’t want it to, as it lets us imagine the future as per our wishes!), Season 1 and its superbly talented actors (most of the credit of elevating a simple story to an intriguing inner journey, goes to them), have done a brilliant job of entertaining us with a beautiful, poignant, love story, after a very long time.
Moreover, as a writer, Musafir Café has inspired me to delve deeper into characterization, into pushing aside my personal moral compass, introduce layers that on the surface might collaborate, but are in reality, contrasting, and create complex voices who are true to themselves. How the journey is more important than the story itself… How simple clues, such as finding an old book, or looking at a photo, or doing nothing, can reveal untold tales… How difficult is honest conversation, when emotions are involved… How acceptance of flaws is more stimulating than words of praise… While the art of storytelling has evolved, the soul has remained the same… Intact… and that is so precious for an aspiring author! This web series has unexpectedly sparked a light within, to re-tread on the path that fulfills my own dreams!
Musafir Café has made me, an incurable romantic and a lover of happy endings, wonder if traditional happy endings are still necessary? ‘Opposites’ attract, but is that always a good thing? ‘Similarities’ breed tedium, but is that bad? Shouldn’t loving oneself be the aim? Wouldn’t that be, the best way, to love and care for those who are within your circle (be it parents, spouses, children, extended family, or friends) and make them happy?
Is true love enough? Is fiery attraction enough? Is shared passion enough?
Can clear communication, clear priorities, clear boundaries sustain a marriage?
Can trust, camaraderie and mutual goals restore the foundation of love and promote a lasting relationship?
Or are we heading towards being passengers of Time, travelling with different companions at different intervals for different needs and shifting goalposts?
Musafir Café, is not just a three-way love story – it questions what many of us believe to be the framework of life – love, marriage, children – it rattles moralities and priorities – it shares a glimpse of the multifaceted, deep-rooted expectations that we have of women (as opposed to men, for no one seems to be questioning Chander, as much as, they are questioning Sudha or Preeti) – and it leaves you with choices…
Choose wisely.
For each choice determines your journey.
Each journey determines your destination.
Each destination determines your destiny!
Musafirs of life. Musafirs of love. Musafirs of Fate. Be the Musafir you choose to be!
(Note: This review is completely mine. I haven’t seen any stars’ interviews, nor read any reviews, nor articles before writing this piece. I have just seen a few Instagram posts by fans which AI and its algorithms tempt you on your feed. Images have been taken while viewing the series for the sole purpose of this blog and social media posts. No copyright infringement intended.)
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