Maa Ka Sum sets out to explore love through logic. Directed by Nicholas Kharkongor and written by Ravinder Randhawa and Sumrit Shahi, the Prime Video series is about a 19-year-old mathematics prodigy trying to “solve” relationships and matchmaking through equations and algorithms.

Agastya (Mihir Ahuja) is on a mission to find the perfect partner for his single mother Vinita (Mona Singh). Their relationship is framed as unusually close, almost idealised, but quickly reveals a troubling co-dependence. Boundaries are virtually non-existent, with Agastya assuming the role of decision-maker in his mother’s romantic life, prioritising data and outcomes over her autonomy and feelings.

This dynamic could have been fertile ground for a layered drama, but the writing is simply too weak to support it. What unfolds across eight episodes is a drawn-out drama that rarely earns its emotional beats.

Scenes are over-written and repetitive. The show tells you what it’s about – constantly – without ever making you feel it. Lines like “Good data matched with good analysis always gets good results” are spoken as if they carry philosophical weight, but they land hollow.

Mihir Ahuja delivers a natural, easy-going performance, especially in his quieter moments with Mona Singh. There is a believable rhythm between the actors, though Singh often feels...

Read more