Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Genre : Drama
Year : 2021, 2023
Episodes : 5 per Season
Running time : 45 minutes (per episode)
Streaming Platform: Amazon Prime
Director : Apoorv Singh Karki
Cast : Naveen Kasturia, Abhilash Thapiyal, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Namita Dubey, Sunny Hinduja
Kid rating : G
Aspirants is a 2 season series from TVF, the makers of Panchayat. It is about three friends who are preparing for the UPSC examinations. All three live in old Rajinder Nagar of New Delhi, which is apparently known for it’s preparatory classes for the UPSC. The series focuses equally on the lives of the three as they focus on the UPSC – the rigors of the preparation, and the toll it takes when attempts come to nought.
Abhilash Sharma (Naveen Kasturia) is the most driven of the lot, even distancing himself from his girlfriend when he thinks the relationship is distracting him from his studies. His friend Gurinder Singh (Shivankit Singh Parihar), a tad more emotional than his friends, has a backup plan if he doesn’t make it in the UPSC. Swetketu (Abhilash Thapliyal) or SK is the peacemaker of the group, when the borderline righteous-and-smug-about-it Abhilash and the emotional Guri don’t get along.
The UPSC exam is tough and has many stages requiring years of preparation (only 0.2% of applicants actually get through). We get to see the three friends as they slog through the arduous process, attempt after attempt, honing their strategies and trying to find new ways of bettering their next crack at the exam. We also see their personal struggles, anxieties, and their relationships, some of which crumble along the way.
Season 1 has all three friends located in old Rajinder Nagar, in close contact, supporting each other, until there’s a falling out. In Season 2, the three have gone their separate ways, a little disappointed with life. They have grown into full-fledged adulthood, having left their student lives behind. They meet again but the bond between them is not quite the same.
Aspirants is beautifully written. It feels real and authentic. The characters seem like people we might know. The thread tying the story together might be the aspirations, but it is the way the characters are fleshed out that makes the series so arresting. They might be flawed, some only a little, some a little more, but one feels for all of them. There’s also an inspirational quality to Aspirants, as in the awe one feels for someone attempting a difficult task, striving for something larger than self. Abhilash is the main character in the series, and it is quite refreshing to see a hero with altruistic motives, in this era of self-praise and self-aggrandizement.
The friendship between the three friends, although tumultous, is a lovely thing to see. The three are very different people and often disagree. All three are right and good in their own way; one cannot help but be invested in their success and the continuation of their friendship come what may.
The direction is pretty tight, as is the screenplay. The music is melodious and has an addictive quality – my favorite is the Aspirants Theme. All of the actors in the series, whether it be a big role or small, have done stellar jobs. The series first debuted on Youtube, but both seasons are now available on Prime. There also three spin-offs on Youtube: SK Sir ki Class, Sandeep Bhaiya, Guri-Dhairya Ki Love Story.
Highly recommended.
Kidwise: Clean.
