‘How To Ruin Diwali’ sparks debate among viewers

Netflix South Africa has given viewers the How To Ruin franchise, with the fourth instalment, How To Ruin Diwali: Meet the Parents, premiering on Friday, 30 October 2026. After a weekend of viewing, Mzansi have shared their reactions… and they are mixed.

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What is the show about? (Spoilers ahead)

The latest edition in the How to Ruin series followed an interracial couple who are secretly engaged and concoct a plan to get their parents together for the announcement. Chaos and drama unfold as a proud Zulu family and an Indian medical dynasty are forced under one roof, with one family whose customs are disrespected and the other family’s secrets exposed.

The protagonist, Mmabatho, is tasked with fixing the mess she created after exposing her fiancé’s father’s love affair, while also finding a way to bring the two cultures together.

The mini-series is a comedy-drama that explores various themes around bringing families together, with different internal family dynamics and customs.

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The reviews are in…

Viewers took to social media to share their thoughts about the show, and many were mixed. Some found the show a bad watch, and others expressed a similar reaction to the franchise.

One X user suggested that Netflix should abandon the entire franchise, sparking a debate about whether the series still has room to grow, while others focused on how poorly this particular instalment was received.

Another user gave the show a 1/10 rating, with people quoting the post, claiming they are convinced people on the app are simply “miserable” and hardly enjoy anything.

I am convinced that people are actually miserable ESPECIALLY on twitter every funny series DEDICATED to family and friends it’s terrible, just say yall want to post sex senses on here and move on bro😫

— ❥꧁𝑩𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒊𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒛꧂☙🇿🇦 (@ayashante_n) November 2, 2026

Those who didn’t like the show commented on the lack of chemistry amongst the two leads and the acting.

I rate it 3/10. The couple has zero chemistry,the story line lacked depth and the acting was horrible.
The siblings could’ve done better, this one is a total miss ,they set the tone very high with the 1st& 2nd one. They better come up with a good one with the 2nd installment

— Ntebaleng (@Ntebaleng_) November 2, 2026

Some who loved the three-episode series loved the characters and the chaos.

Mmabatho sis 😭😭😂😂😂 my queen can’t keep a secret #HowToRuinDiwali https://t.co/SADv2CcueX

— Ayanda🦄🐅AO (@AyandaZung) October 30, 2026

Featured image: Instagram/@rosemary_zimu

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