May 24, 2026 10:00pm IST
‘Desi Bling’ Review: This Reality Show is a Mix of Flashy Luxury, Melodrama and Manufactured Conflicts
One and a half years after the third season of “Dubai Bling,” the popular reality-based series that touched upon the lives of Dubai’s elite, it is now the turn of “Desi Bling.” This time, the focus is centered around NRIs based in the glittering city of Dubai, where even wealthy Indians like the Sanpals brazenly — and somewhat tackily — flaunt 40 kilos of pure gold in their sprawling mansions.
In a quest to project an ultra-rich lifestyle, the cast is seen sporting over-the-top outfits picked by stylists who need a crash course in high-end couture. What’s with Karan Kundrra’s obsession with coloured suits featuring oversized bows and feathery capes?
Except for the Sajans from the Danube family, and perhaps the Sanpals, the others don’t seem to be in their league. Lailli Mirza and Alizey Mirza, for instance, are regulars on Dubai’s party circuit.
The director of “Desi Bling,” Marcel Dufour, was also the creator and showrunner of “Dubai Bling.” There is a template that is followed: Pick a mix of married couples, add a couple of glamorous single women, and get them to hang out at luxury hotels and spas across Dubai. This time, celebrities such as Sania Mirza, Tamannaah Bhatia, Jackie Shroff, Shilpa Shetty, Sunny Leone and Vivek Oberoi have been introduced. Oberoi even wears dark glasses to a sit-down dinner. Sadly, these blink-and-miss appearances add little value to the show.
There is also blatant branding of hotels and products, which does more harm to the brands than good.
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Satish Sanpal, a self-made millionaire from Jabalpur, and his wife Tabinda Sanpal, are among the 12 prime characters. Here, millionaires boast about their wealth while living in gaudy and ostentatious villas that seem as flaky as their lifestyles.
As the camera zooms in on the Sanpals, it is alarming to see Tabinda — supposedly the co-founder and director of a company — massaging her husband’s feet while he sits with a condescending expression. During the conversation, she announces that she has been pressing his feet every day of their married life. It is a disturbing visual that appears to celebrate misogynistic traditions, especially troubling in a country where topics like gender inequality and dowry death continue to be in focus.
Thankfully, there are other, stronger female influences, like TV star Tejasswi Prakash, who rolls her eyes and dramatically shouts, “Shut up!” whenever she hears about these excesses.
Another couple featured on the show is entrepreneur Dyuti Parruck and his estranged Ukrainian wife, Iryna Kinakh, who are constantly squabbling. Their marriage is clearly on the rocks, torn apart by cultural differences and a typically demanding desi husband who, egged on by his mother, expects his wife to “sit at home and take care of the kids.”
Dyuti finds unexpected support in TV actor Karan Kundrra, who talks about his own issues with his girlfriend. When Karan and Dyuti’s “heart-to-heart” talk is replayed for Tejasswi by the girls, she puts up a fine performance, depicting rage and hurt with remarkable finesse. Unlike the others, she is a soap opera queen who knows exactly how to play to the camera.
As with every reality show, there is usually one prime character who brings negative energy. This time, that role has been taken over by obscure socialite Pamela Serena. She is accompanied by her ex-boyfriend AP, who is apparently a wealthy man funding their relationship, but comes across more as her sidekick on the show.
It is hard to say whether the script demands that the cast flaunt their wealth or whether it is simply a desire to be perceived as rich that compels these personalities to throw around numbers at the drop of a hat.
Lailli and Alizey Mirza have little to do on the show and are clearly there for the glamor factor.
This seven-episode series ends with a grand finale - Karan Kundrra’s proposal to Tejasswi, arranged at a desert resort on the outskirts of Dubai.
The proposal is so long-winded that, after a point, Tejasswi looks bored. She also does not appear remotely surprised when Karan attempts to slip a ring onto her finger. The others seem equally uninterested.
Amid all this drama, Danube Group founder Rizwan Sajan, his wife Sameera, son Adel, and daughter-in-law Sana appear more like spectators. They keep their personal lives under wraps, projecting solidarity and a happy family image.
The show is fast-paced and ultimately becomes the kind of guilty pleasure that everyone complains about after watching it.
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