2 days ago
Character Swap: Dil Dhadakne Do vs. Succession
It's been 10 years since Dil Dhadakne Do first gave us a front-row seat to the chaos of a rich, emotionally stuck Indian family. But rewatch it now, and tell us this doesn't feel like the Desi version of Succession, just with more choreographed dancing and less corporate jargon.
Let's break it down.
Kamal Mehra = Logan Roy (But With Better Hair and Worse Shirts)
Kamal Mehra might not cuss like Logan Roy, but make no mistake, the man knows how to emotionally bulldoze a room. Both are old-school, self-made patriarchs obsessed with legacy, respect, and making their kids feel like underperforming power is rooted in fear and guilt, and they both have an incredible talent for making every family interaction feel like a board meeting with invisible said, 'You're not serious people.'Kamal said, 'What will people say?'Same vibe, different continent.
Neelam Mehra = Caroline Collingwood (But in Pastels)
Neelam Mehra doesn't raise her voice. She doesn't even need to. Her carefully curated silences say more than most monologues. Like Caroline Collingwood, she's distant, elegant, and emotionally untouchable. Whether it's Caroline ghosting her kids from a villa or Neelam hosting the perfect dinner while ignoring her daughter's sadness, both know how to maintain appearances while offering very little actual comfort.
Ayesha Mehra = Shiv Roy (CEO Material, No One Notices)
Runs her own business. Has a husband who's draining. Smarter than every man in the room. Still treated like she's playing dress-up. Shiv fights to take over a company, Ayesha fights to take control of her own life. Honestly? Give them both a bottle of wine and a group chat, they'd fix each other.
Kabir Mehra = Kendall Roy (If Kendall Went To Therapy)
Both are the sons no one really takes seriously—until they do. Kendall performs power, Kabir avoids it entirely. But deep down? Same wound: a desperate need for their father's approval. They're stuck between rebellion and guilt, ambition and exhaustion. One crashes board meetings, the other crash-lands expectations. Same pressure, different coping mechanisms.
Roman Roy = Sunny Gill (The Rebel Who Keeps It Cool)
Roman Roy is the loud, messy black sheep who keeps the Roy family meetings way more entertaining (and stressful). Sunny Gill, Farhan Akhtar's character, is the chill black sheep doing his own thing and happily avoiding the family feel trapped as square pegs in round holes, but while Roman's the chaotic wildcard, Sunny's got the perfect 'not my circus, not my monkeys' vibe.
Manav Sangha = Tom Wambsgans (But Without the Charm)
Married into power. Obsessed with control. Deeply might actually outscore Manav on the empathy scale, and that's saying a lot. Both men exist to remind us that 'nice' guys can still be the worst.
Pluto = Greg (The Lovable Underdogs)
Pluto, the family dog in Dil Dhadakne Do, might not say much, but he's always there soaking up the chaos with wide-eyed confusion—and honestly, same. Greg Hirsch is basically the human version of Pluto: awkward, trying to fit in with the powerful Roys, and often left confused by the family's drama.
Bonus: The Dysfunction Olympics
Let's not forget: both families are walking PR disasters hiding behind well-tailored clothes and forced family photos. The Mehras have a cruise. The Roys have a boardroom. Either way, nobody's talking about their feelings and everyone's ready to snap by brunch.
