Review: 'Two Much With Kajol & Twinkle' talk show - Case of too much promise, too little punch, despite Salman and Aamir Khan's bluster?

Dubai: I loved the concept when 'Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle' dropped on Prime Video. Think about it: two fierce, outspoken women from Bollywood, both powerful nepo babies—Kajol (Tanuja's daughter) and Twinkle Khanna (Dimple Kapadia and the late Rajesh Khanna's daughter)—were going to host a casual chat show with their inner circle.

Twinkle, an accomplished columnist and author, is famously sassy and witty, while Kajol was eternally brash, loud, and never bother too much about appearances. Together, their collective boldness and palpable world of privilege suggested that their A-list guests, stars they grew up with, would naturally let their guards down.

Plus, this was positioned as an antidote to the sensationalism of Koffee with Karan. While Karan Johar's show was meant to be catty and provoke headlines, the agenda here was clearly more casual. The chats weren't meant to be weaponised with questions like "who was better in bed?" The show screamed: The cool kids are just hanging out in a plush living room. The format felt low-stakes: first, feed them, then the cozy living room chat, then a few lame games.

Here's the fundamental issue with it: these women, frankly, are not great conversational journalists. I have to admit that Karan Johar was better at bringing out the cattiness and pushing boundaries.

Kajol and Twinkle, however, do not commit to the cause of making it a truly heartfelt or intimate conversation.

For instance, at one point, they raised a vital topic—the double standard where Bollywood heroes romance much younger women while actresses aren't given the same berth. Before guests like Aamir Khan and Salman Khan could give any proper, introspective response, the hosts moved on and seemed to let them off the hook. They failed to dig into the issue with intelligent counter-questions, almost as if they were being 'woke' for the sake of relevance. The banter between the hosts isn't particularly combustible or engaging either.

Having said that, the show did manage to get something unique out of its guests. I have never seen Salman Khan be this self-deprecating and chatty; the women seemed to get the best out of him, with him opening up on topics like his friendships and desire for children. Unfortunately, Aamir Khan, who is more measured and reserved in his responses, often wasn't able to get a proper word in among the three chatty co-stars.

Final Verdict: 'Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle' promised a dynamite alternative to the existing talk show landscape but delivered a pleasant, lukewarm chat.

The chemistry and shared history of the hosts and their guests are a powerful asset, but the format lacks the necessary edge and follow-through to turn personal comfort into genuinely compelling television. It feels like Too Much hype for Too Little heat.