What shines through in season two of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives is the easy camaraderie among the four main cast members

Reality television remains a paradox unto itself and is punctuated with elements of escapism. It is difficult to encounter anything beyond mindless melodrama on these shows. Even so, the popularity of Indian reality TV serves as welcome proof that imitations of The Simple Life or Keeping Up with the Kardashians continue to attract a premium.

Netflix India’s Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives carries all the vital ingredients of an absurd binge-worthy reality show. When it was released in the thick of the global pandemic in 2020, it came as a source of relief for viewers who were grappling with the vagaries of numerous lockdowns. The series was, however, censured for lacking a much-needed oomph, wit and charm. The near-voyeuristic focus on the somewhat inane lives of the eponymous Bollywood wives Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Kothari, Bhavana Panday and Seema Sajdeh drew cringe-worthy reactions on social media. Memes about the show also became the order of the day — a trend that reflects the boundless appeal of reality TV.

The second season of the series doesn’t deviate much from its predecessor. In fact, it smacks of the same problematic privilege evident in the first season. The only difference is that the four women have become familiar entities in the eyes of viewers. In the previous season, everyone in the main cast — apart from Neelam — had emerged from the shadow of obscurity. Little was known about them and their quirky demeanour appeared nauseating. Now, all four women seem to have come into their own, possibly because their idiosyncrasies and vulnerabilities are known to audiences. It is difficult not to feel something verging on concern for their petty struggles, even as they inhabit their cosy sinecures with ill-disguised pride.

The season begins with all four women searching for meaning in their lives and reinventing themselves. Neelam is still attempting to make a suitable comeback in films, albeit with a heady mix of caution and conscientiousness. Maheep is undergoing a radical shift in priorities, but hasn’t lost touch with her gutsy, mischievous side. Seema is coming to terms with her status as a divorced woman and is in the process of imbuing her new-found energy into fresh projects. Bhavana, who is arguably the most subdued of the ‘wives’, kicks off the second season with a bizarre plan to renew her vows — a declaration that attracts shock, disbelief and a fair share of catty remarks.

Bhavana’s remarriage to her actor-husband Chunky Panday remains at the core of the season and all other incidents derive their force from it. Holidays, fights and gossip fests are incomplete without a stealthy reference to Bhavana’s imminent nuptials to the same man. At times, viewers might even find themselves agreeing with the onscreen sceptics of Bhavana’s decision to renew her vows. Nevertheless, the renewal (or ‘regurgitation’, as one of the guest stars alludes to it) lends the season a much-needed climax or even a point of convergence. Without it, season two of Fabulous Lives would have aimlessly meandered into the same territory that made season one so difficult to stomach.

The repeated onslaught of lockdowns seems to have altered the lives of the four ‘Bollywood wives’, though not in radical terms. The change in perspective, however, is palpable. If the first season was paean to their superficial existence before the relentless Covid-19 lockdowns, the second instalment isn’t a dirge to a paradise lost. The four women resume their antics with a renewed gusto and a desire to challenge themselves.

This season, viewers get to witness more cameo appearances from Gauri Khan, wife of actor Shah Rukh Khan. Another Bollywood wife who has blazed her own trail instead of remaining in her husband’s shadow, Gauri serves as a useful counterpoint to the ‘wives’. During one of her interactions with them, Gauri reveals why it was important for her to carve a niche for herself. Responding to this confession, one of the ‘wives’ speaks about her failures in setting up a series of restaurants in Mumbai — a fact that hasn’t garnered much attention throughout the series. After this interaction, discerning viewers might be tempted to ask why the creators haven’t drawn serious attention to the career trajectories of the Bollywood ‘wives’. Interestingly, more emphasis seems to have been placed on their occasional love affairs with botox than on the daily struggles in their professional lives. In fact, Maheep’s consistent endeavours to find her friends lucrative endorsements are dismissed by the other ‘wives’ and Seema’s efforts to revolutionise her clothing brand are snubbed as “wannabe”.

Reality television operates on a specific formula whereby conflicts and controversies take precedence over meaningful content. Be that as it may, it would be refreshing to see a more realistic approach to depicting the challenges faced by the ‘wives’. Sceptics might argue that the lives of these women would be far from superficial, even if we attempt to dig deeper. Such harsh comments shouldn’t be construed as a sign that these women lack depth. To achieve a suitable balance between the superficial and the profound, the creator may need to move beyond the thin veneer and mine the emotional core of the ‘wives’.

The second season of Fabulous Lives makes a stronger attempt to strike this fine balance, but it seems more like an accidental discovery than a conscious effort. The decision to highlight an “indiscretion” — a euphemism for an extra-marital affair — that Maheep decided to overlook many years ago was a suitable way to portray an unknown dimension of her personality. Instead, this disclosure seems to fall flat as it is simply geared towards keeping the rumour mills churning.

The current season isn’t just a mindless romp, but also raises concerns about some important issues. For instance, perimenopause, burnout, empty-nest syndrome and the burgeoning pressures of maintaining sustainable parent-child relationships have been portrayed in gentle hues. But even these attempts at generating a serious debate on issues are obscured by the interminable guest appearances and mindless melodrama.

What shines through in season two of Fabulous Lives is the easy camaraderie among the four ‘wives’. While their friendship is burdened by strife, it is steered by sincerity and a touch of playfulness. Subsequent seasons of the series must seek to present the more meaningful dimensions of the long-standing companionship among the four Bollywood wives.