Indie Web Series: Minus One
Romantic relationships can become a complicated topic as time goes by. This stems from a collection of different beliefs, generations and perspectives on how partnerships should work before, during, and, possibly, in the aftermath of its end. Minus One is a web series that tackles in an excellent way all of these aspects in the romance turned friendship relationship aspect throughout its course.
Minus One tells the story of Riya and Varun, a recently broken-up couple who start contemplating moving in together rather than moving on. Riya dreams of becoming a photographer, while Varun has a strong aspiration to become a pilot in the midst of both characters tackling new relationships and how other people view their choice to remain roommates. The series also delves into the family aspect and their expectations when it comes to their children’s relationships.
Directed by Shubham Yogi, the show succeeds in tickling the funny bone while exploring in-depth the almost taboo concept of becoming friends with your ex. Yogi accomplishes a great execution and flow of different themes in each episode with a mix of fun elements, including the use of social media, along with satisfactory cinematography. This last quality is reflected best in the flashbacks that encompass the beginning of each chapter.
This aspect of the series grasps the attention of the viewer by serving as the representation of growth in our main characters. By mixing in more dark/grey tones in these scenes, Yogi accomplishes that uneasy feeling of unhappiness for both Riya and Varun, even during the happiest moments of their romantic relationship. Another aspect of these scenes is how well the difference in perspectives is accomplished in order to understand the characters and what leads up to their decision by the season’s finale.
The show is also triumphant in breaking the stereotype of expectations in the depictions of relationships in the media, as audiences are usually expected to enjoy more the aspects of a love story rather than the process of a breakup. The latter is another important quality of the show by not only presenting different standpoints on the situation, but also making it an important characteristic of each character’s development during the season’s progression. This makes for a strong connection between Riya, Varun, and the audience’s interest in how going against the norm will result for the couple.
The performances from Aisha Ahmed and Ayush Mehra are a standout. The duo’s chemistry is one that stays consistent throughout the show’s development and proves to be the pioneer that carries the narrative, interactions, and various topics that forces viewers to analyze certain aspects of daily life or what society has deemed correct in terms of relationships. Both Ahmed and Mehra shine equally as bright in the comedy and drama departments which leads to a magnificent exploration of the different personalities of each character.
Kira Narayanan also shines in the web series as Devika, a potential new partner for Varun. This is due to the character unexpectedly becoming the surprise of the season by being the most understanding of Riya and Varun’s decision. Her character also served as the savior in episode 4 when Riya’s father decides to stop by in a surprise visit, which causes chaos in our main character’s household.
This episode acts as the highlight of the season by becoming pivotal to the show’s climax. The moment accomplishes to symbolize a shift in perspective for our main characters by causing them to question their choice to live together. It also succeeds in representing the pressures established by family members due to high expectations, specifically when Riya’s father asks to take a photo of the couple as an update for family members.
All of these elements combined serve as the perfect recipe for the show’s success as, curiously enough, the initial message aspires to humanize both the ex and our character’s decision in remaining together as roommates. The interesting shift that the creative team accomplishes with the show’s message by the finale lies in making the audience understand that Riya and Varun’s friendship was always more important than their decisio or the backlash, and debate received by both family and friends. This makes for a heartwarming season finale that makes the audience crave the continuation of our protagonists’ journey.
Created by Sidhanta Mathur and written by Aakash Bhojwani, Minus One premiered in September 2019 on YouTube. The series comprises 6 episodes that last from 14 to 17 minutes with no less than 47,000,000 views on the digital platform. It also forms part of the Writeous Studio universe from the channel Just Human Things, which serves as India’s main platform for both fiction and non-fiction stories, including the series Overtime.
Apart from directing, Shubham Yogi stated that the web series stemmed from his experience of deciding to shift his relationship with his ex from romance to friendship by making her his roommate. Yogi also confessed that the peculiar title Minus One was the term consistently used by his friends to describe his decision, which sparked an array of reactions and reflections among the people who got to know their story. This led to a conversation with Sidhanta Mathur, who contributed to the show’s development and execution.
Minus One proves to be a effective new take on relationships in its attempt to shut the door on the constant stereotypes and taboos that surrounds the aftermaths of romantic relationships. If you are looking to switch it up in the love story department make sure to add this surprising web series to the top of your list. The question lies in if new adventures will pave the way for Riya and Varun’s newly found friendship or if we only get to rejoice in the accomplished freedom of their choice for this first great season?
