Miss Perfect Review: A Lockdown Tale of Love, Confusion, and Comedy
Lavanya Tripathi, who has recently been focusing more on web series, received a good response for her series ‘Puli Meka’. Her latest series ‘Miss Perfect’, consisting of 8 episodes, began streaming on Disney+ Hotstar yesterday. In this series, she plays the title role. The series, which had been raising expectations with its promotions, now awaits audience reaction.
Lavanya (Lavanya Tripathi) works in Delhi and insists on perfection in everything. Lack of cleanliness irritates her, and she does not hesitate to clean herself to maintain peace of mind. This behavior is pointed out by her friend Indu (Sunaina) as a sort of obsession, though Lavanya pays no heed.
Lavanya‘s father, Gokul (Harshavardhan), resides in Mumbai for business reasons but owns a flat in an apartment in Hyderabad, where he stays whenever he visits the city. Rajyalakshmi (Jhansi), who is the president of the apartment association, dominates the premises, instilling fear in the security guard, Srinu (Mahesh Vitta).
Before the imposition of the lockdown due to COVID-19, Lavanya arrives in Hyderabad for work and stays in her father’s flat. Jyothi (Abhignya), who enters the scene as a housemaid, loves to sing. She comes to Hyderabad with her brother Karthik for selections and ends up staying there. Karthik is always focused on YouTube, indicating a youth’s lifestyle, while Jyothi spends her days casually, engaging in light-hearted conversations and chores.
When someone near Jyothi’s home contracts COVID-19, the area is declared a containment zone. Jyothi, unable to work, asks Lavanya to inform Rohit (Abhijeet) living in another flat. Mistaking Lavanya for another housemaid, Rohit is captivated by her glamor, leading to a misunderstanding.
Rohit, unaware of Lavanya’s senior position due to the lockdown, and Lavanya, unaware of Rohit working in her office, develop an attraction for each other. Meanwhile, Gokul has an extramarital affair with Rajyalakshmi and gets stuck in her flat due to the lockdown, unknown to Lavanya.
Rohit’s mother decides to marry him to a girl named Tara, but upon noticing changes in his behavior, she suspects Jyothi and puts her under surveillance. Jyothi, with her brother Karthik, undertakes a secret operation to uncover the truth. The series explores how Lavanya and Rohit face challenges, the outcome of Gokul’s love affair with Rajyalakshmi, and whether Jyothi’s secret operation succeeds.
The story of Miss Perfect, penned and screenplay by Francis Thomas and Shruti Ramachandran, is directed by Vishwak Khanderao. Set in a lockdown backdrop, the series revolves around a limited cast within an apartment, focusing on their interactions and conflicts.
The narrative’s slow pace is noticeable, with the story picking up momentum only from the fifth episode. The tracks involving Rohit-Lavanya, Gokul-Rajyalakshmi, and Jyothi-Karthik drive the story, with Jyothi’s character standing out in terms of performance. Despite the short episode lengths, the content feels stretched, and the pacing lacks dynamism, suggesting that a tighter narrative could have made the series more engaging.