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Vijay Varma, the driving force of gripping crime drama Kalkoot

Vijay Varma is emerging as one of the finest actors we have. His earnest understated performance stands out as he begins to gain confidence and exercise control, never losing his self-respect or his sincere approach to work. He is ably supported by Seema Biswas as his on-screen mother…reviewed by Arnab Banerjee

An eight-part crime drama, written by Arunabh Kumar and jointly by director Sumit Saxena, KaalKoot is a hard-hitting series without the regular embellishments that adorn web series on OTT platforms. It’s unsparing but not entirely uncompromising.

Sub-Inspector Ravi Shankar Tripathi (Vijay Varma) is the kind of young cop who you’ll not easily come across not just in small towns such as Sirsa in Uttar Pradesh (not to be confused with the Haryana town), but even in bigger cities and metropolises.

Such ordinary people with a streak of honesty and commitment may be few and far between. Essentially, such modest and obscure men often are mistaken for being average and having low self-esteem.

He lives with his widowed mother (Seema Biswas) for whom he is the be-all-and-end-all. Her married daughter being away, she has pinned all her hopes on him.

Things are not what they seem though. On the very first week of his joining the force, he is in no mood to continue and even contemplates resigning. Thankfully, his senior at work, SHO Jagdish Sahay (Gopal Datt) has a ready case for him to sink his teeth into — an acid attack victim is undergoing treatment in a hospital after suffering serious burns and is dealing with the trauma.  

For a cop of his temperament, the job comes with a baggage most of which looks like a challenge. The demands of his job impact his personal life to such an extent that his motivation is likely to be shaken. Managing between work and family commitments, Ravi spares no effort to solve the acid attack victim’s case.

When he gets to know about the identity of the victim of the brutal attack, Parul (Shweta Tripathi Sharma), whom his mother wanted him to marry, he gets doubly charged with a concrete objective to investigate the case and bring all those responsible to book.

His enthusiasm and drive lead him to a vortex of dark incidents that reek of issues plaguing the city. The literate but uneducated sector has not one but many ills that are responsible for the stunted growth of middle- class men and women. The inquiry further reveals the patriarchal norms that result in misogyny.

Ravi’s soft side has a detrimental effect on his image as his colleagues don’t think much of him as a doer. He looks more like a victim rather than someone who can take charge. As Ravi gets entangled in the case, his personal life goes through a sea change as he discovers facets that hitherto seemed insurmountable.

The only solace he has is thanks to the good-natured constable Sattu Yadav (Yashpal Sharma), who does look like a loyalistm but when the right time comes, may not be as cooperative, and can be quite ambivalent in his approach.

As Parul shows signs of recovery in the hospital, the focus is also on her younger sister who becomes an integral part of the investigation. Parul, who is accused of enjoying alcohol, doesn’t seem the ‘homely’ kind, and the needle of suspicion points towards her as cops dub her immoral and not someone following societal norms.

A woman (Suzanna Mukherjee) is introduced as the would-be bride his mother likes. But even when things are almost finalised Ravi gets cold feet and dangles between his own sense of commitment and what looks like love for him.

That said, there are places where the role of the media or the way the common man thinks tells us all about the ways of the world, and how everyone is judgmental.

I know it’s improper to compare two series even if they both fall under the category of crime. But since we have just seen a brilliant series, ‘Kohraa’, one can’t help arguing that to establish a point, the writing has to be taut with subplots and other occurrences not dragged to reach a point of no return.

There are twists and turns that would keep your interest alive, but it looks slightly tiring to sit through eight episodes where not much seems to unravel. It also is crammed with umpteen issues that are interlinked to contextualise every crime. Ravi is also keen on finding the right match for himself for which both he and his mother do everything to ensure a suitable bride for him.

Chauvinistic men are hell bent upon having their way. The city’s narrow lanes are as much representative of the restrictive values and accepted wisdom as much they seem unseemly and unhygienic. Ravi’s pursuit for justice runs into several obstacles, yet he is determined to deal with all of them.  

Vijay Varma is emerging as one of the finest actors we have. His earnest understated performance stands out as he begins to gain confidence and exercise control, never losing his self-respect or his sincere approach to work. He is ably supported by Seema Biswas as his on-screen mother.

The story has been told purely from a male perspective, possibly because it is based in a small town in the badlands of UP, where there are not too many options to choose from. Parul’s morals are questioned not once but a few times, often suggesting that she may have been what others suspect she is.

The script has a certain pace with which it plods through, and as more revelations take place, one realises that the dark and tardy mood is leading to a lot more findings. The music can at times can be jarring, especially when to accentuate a scene’s importance, it turns out to be loud, destroying the flow of the scene.

A takeaway message: A dreadful and appalling crime that is common in only this part of the continent can be perpetrated with impunity because of the absence of a detrimental law supporting the victims. Only very recently, such crimes have led to the perpetrators getting punished, though the penalty is still mild compared to the gruesomeness of the horrifyingly sickening crime it really is.

Web Series: Kalkoot (JioCinema) Episodes: Eight of 38 minutes each
Written by: Arunabh Kumar and Sumit Saxena Direction: Sumit Saxena
Cast: Vijay Varma, Shweta Tripathi, Seema Biswas, Yashpal Sharma, Gopal Dutt and Suzanna Mukherjee
Music: Krishanu Moitra Camera: Maneesh Bhatt ( Rating: **1/2)

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Highway: An interesting watch over for the weekend

The technical excellence that Director K.V. Guhan brings in with his cinematography, fails to lift up the weak story line…reviewed by Narendra Puppala

(Streaming on aha), Duration: 163 minutes, Director: K.V. Guhan, Cast: Anand Devarakonda, Manasa Radhakrishnan, Sayiami Kher and Abhishek Banerjee (Rating: **)

People expect highway rides to be fast, racy, and smooth. But on screen, Telugu movie ‘Highway’, ace cinematographer KV Guhan’s third directorial venture in Telugu, suffers on all three fronts. Interesting in patches but largely predictable, ‘Highway’ could yet appeal to die-hard fans of the ‘cat and mouse’ type serial killer genre.

The movie’s basic premise is set around a serial woman-killer and a determined lady cop in Hyderabad. ‘Highway’ shifts scene when a young village lass lands in his clutches, with her new love hot on their tracks. Despite the initial promise of a taut thriller, ‘Highway’ ends up meandering along to a rather unbelievable ending.

Vishnu, a promising photographer in Vizag sets out on a wedding coverage assignment in Bengaluru. On the way, he and his friend come to the aid of Tulasi, a village belle from near Amalapuram, in search of her father in Mangaluru, Karnataka.

They promise to drop her off at Kalyandurg, from where she can take a bus to Mangalore. Although it confuses the mind as to why she can’t tag along with them till Bengaluru which is closer to her destination.

Parallelly, in the city of Hyderabad, female cop Asha Bharat is on the trail of a serial killer who keeps leaving cigarette butts and tyre tracks at the crime scenes.

Das, played by Abhishek Banerjee, is the smouldering villain, who keeps staking out potential victims, as he keeps cruising around in a beat-up ambulance van, right under the cops’ noses. All the while, the female cop keeps snarling and mouthing the b****** and f*** words to vent out her frustration and determination.

How Tulasi lands in Das’ clutches, Vishnu tracks her down, and finally rescues her, form the crux of ‘Highway’.

The cast comprising Anand Devarakonda, Manasa Radhakrishnan, Sayiami Kher and Abhishek Banerjee try their best to do justice to their roles.

Anand Devarakonda as Vishnu, and Manasa as Tulasi, appear naturally rigid and restrained as a young couple who are waking up to their mutual attraction.

Sayiami Kher is passable as the lady cop intent on catching the serial killer. Abhishek Banerjee, with a perpetual sneer writ on his face, is the bad guy in the movie which happens to be his Telugu debut.

The technical excellence that Director K.V. Guhan brings in with his cinematography, fails to lift up the weak story line.

There are instances where the director makes it too easy for the antagonist to kill and escape. Similarly, other inconsistencies in the storyline add to the overall inadequacies of the movie.

As can be expected, Guhan handles the camera with panache, while Simon King’s music score helps maintain the story tempo.

For thriller movie fans willing to overlook the details, ‘Highway’, despite the plot-holes, may still prove to be an interesting watch over the weekend.

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An incredible and inspiring true ‘Jungle Cry’

Director Sagar Ballary took the sports biopic genre, laced it with patriotism and made a film that is substantial in terms of content. And of course, seeing Abhay Deol back in action and in his element, is something worth anyone’s time…reports Asian Lite News

(Streaming on Lionsgate Play), Duration: 117 minutes. Director: Sagar Ballary. Cast: Abhay Deol, Emily Shah, Atul Kumar, Julian Lewis Jones and Stewart Wright. (Rating: ***1/2)

A proud moment for the entire nation, when tribal children from Odisha, won a Rugby Championship with the help of a local mentor and an ambitious butter-ball coach named Paul, sounds unthinkable, but it is a true story.

‘Jungle Cry’ is based on the as-yet untold story about two coaches and 12 boys mentored by the Bhubaneswar-based Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences, who had no clue about rugby, taking on the world’s toughest team on their home ground and beating them in the 2007 Under-14 Rugby World Cup, pulling off a historic win for the Jungle Cats from India.

Director Sagar Ballary took the sports biopic genre, laced it with patriotism and made a film that is substantial in terms of content. And of course, seeing Abhay Deol back in action and in his element, is something worth anyone’s time.

An incredible and inspiring true story about 12 tribal children, who enrolled for football coaching for different reasons. For shoes, food, shelter, safety, or just to stay out of trouble, they are enrolled by Rudra (Abhay Deol) for a local football training programme. But Paul, a rugby coach from Wales, wants to train them for the world rugby championship.

After some deliberation, Rudra and Paul align their goals, but these underprivileged boys are still without shoes, equipment, and have no clue about rugby. The two coaches, fired by a lot of determination and putting in a lot of hard work, train the children in just just four months and the Jungle Cats take on the world, literally, and go on to become the Under-14 Rugby World Cup champions in Wales for 2007.

During their visit to Wales, the entire team is introduced to Roshni Thakkar, the team physiotherapist and a constant source of inspiration for the boys and Rudra. She’s played by Indian American actress and Dharma Dry Gin maker Emily Shah, a stellar discovery for Indian audiences.

The movie is not just about underdogs. It is a reassuring statement of the fact that sports can help a child overcome all odds and make a mark in life. The director did not waste time on patriotic speeches or shows of emotion, but kept the narrative simple, but the undertone is remarkably clear.

During their first tussle on the ground with beefy, athletically built Welsh youngsters, the Jungle Cats almost bailed out on the coach, but their comeback, using their abilities to the fullest, is inspiring and will definitely make the viewers misty-eyed.

It is a well-balanced, well-crafted and multi-layered emotional sports drama with a happy ending. Who wouldn’t love such a movie.

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Bhool Bhulaiya 2: An absolute entertainer with well shot horror sequences

(Running in Theatres), Duration: 143 minutes, Director: Anees Bazmee,   Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Tabu, Kiara Advani, Rajpal Yadav, Amar Upadhyay, Sanjay Mishra, Karmveer Choudhary, Rajesh Sharma, Govind Namdeo (Rating: ***)

Meant to be steeped in mystery, with the usual ingredients of a ghost-centric film, replete with evil spirits and tantra-mantra, Anees Bazmee’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, a sequel of the 2007 film of the same name, is an absolute entertainer, its exaggerated horror elements and slapstick humour, notwithstanding.

Manjulika, envious of her twin sister Anjulika, who is always the recipient of lavish praise from their father and gets the better deal in life, including the Kunwar (Amar Upadhayay), whom she secretly loves, kills Anjulika and takes her place.

Thence she impersonates her sister for 18 years, till Ruhan Randhawa (Kartik Aryan), who upon a chance meeting with a Medical student, Reet Thakur (Kiara Advani ), accompanies her (Reet) to the family haveli in Rajasthan to help cover up a lie. How they unravel the truth and present it to the world forms the crux of the 143 minutes narrative.

Kartik Aaryan shines as the fun-loving and confident Ruhan Randhawa, aka ‘Rooh baba’ in his comic avatar, and exudes charm aplenty. He is every inch the character and gets a massive platform to emote, dance, and display his acting prowess. The only scene where he is a let-down is owing to his poor Bengali accent in the Manjulika avatar.

Kiara Advani, as Reet, looks gorgeous and is competent, essaying her part with conviction.

Tabu, with her ace histrionics and get-up, does justice to her meaty role as the much-loved Bhabhi in the haveli, and her character, with its myriad shades, are full of intrigue.

Rajpal Yadav as Chota Pandit and Sanjay Mishra as Panditji are their usual self with their impeccable comic timing.

The dance sequences in this sequel, unfortunately, are not a patch on Vidya Balan’s ones, in the original. These lack the finesse and appear to be a tad tacky.

The song ‘Aami je tomar’ by Shreya Ghoshal is as soulful as ever and evokes nostalgia. The background score has been used aptly.

The intended jump scares and squeaky sound effects to create horror are a bit over-the-top in some scenes and ineffective- too.

Although the one-liners and punches are filmy and trite, they are well-delivered and situational and thus, evoke laughter. Especially, the scene, where everyone in the haveli sets out to search for Reet, who has been spotted by Chota Pandit.

The screenplay is complex but astutely handled. The plot appears to be a wee bit convoluted, and at times, confusing.

Well-shot, the cinematography, especially in the dark, horror sequences, deserves a mention.

Overall, one naturally, goes with a lot of expectations to watch ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, comparing it to its prequel, but this one too sparkles in its 2.0 avatar.

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‘Gaganyaan showcasing India’s ambitious space expedition

It also educates us on the importance of a spacesuit, the making of the indigenous launch vehicle, and the technologies that the makers have to master in case it needs to succeed in the dangerous or complex mission as Gaganyaan…reports Troy Rebeiro

‘Gaganyaan: Bharat Ki Antariksh Udaan’ (streaming on discovery+), Duration: 47 minutes, Director: Pria Somiah, Cast: Rakesh Sharma, Air Cmdr (Rtd) Ravish Malhotra, Chethan Kumar, Dr K. Radhakrishnan, Dr S. Somanath, Dimitry Loskutor, Sunita Williams, Raj Chengappa, Dr Bridgette Godard (Rating: ***)

This 47-minute documentary, streaming on discovery+, showcases India’s ambitious odyssey of sending Indian astronauts into space in an Indian spacecraft by 2023.

The film begins with narrator Rahul Mulani telling us who was the first person who went into space in 1961 and ever since then over 500 astronauts from 41 countries have gone into space and that today, only USA, Russia, and China can launch crewed spacecraft.

He further tells us that now India is set to join this very exclusive club, thereby ushering in a new era in history, making India a major space superpower.

The documentary dissects the extremely complex and dangerous mission through the viewpoints of three astronauts – Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space, Sunita Williams, a NASA astronaut, and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov.

With a vast range of talking heads, the narrative elaborates about the qualities required to be an astronaut, the number of astronauts that will be finally selected for the mission, and about Vyommitra, the female-looking spacefaring humanoid robot developed by ISRO who would accompany the human astronauts in space.

It also educates us on the importance of a spacesuit, the making of the indigenous launch vehicle, and the technologies that the makers have to master in case it needs to succeed in the dangerous or complex mission as Gaganyaan.

Narrated in a non-linear manner, the film charts the one-and-a-half-decade-long audacious and challenging journey of India’s human flight programme from developing its state-of-the-art cryogenic engine, testing of flights, and rigorous astronaut training to the final preparations and anticipation before its launch.

The telling is supported with archival footage, modern graphical representations of the complex processes, and bytes from eminent personalities from the space fields, who include Dr K Radhakrishnan – Former Chairman of ISRO, Dr S. Somanath – Former Director of VSSO and current Chairman of ISRO, Retired Air Commodore Ravish Malhotra who was the former Test Pilot of the Indian Air Force, Dimitry Loskutor, Director General of Glavkosmos, and Dr Bridgette Godard, Flight Surgeon from European Astronaut Center.

The film’s emotional power does not come from the visuals that document the subject but from the spoken words of Raj Chengappa, the Group Editorial Director of a publishing house, and Chethan Kumar, Assistant Editor – Space, Science & Defence of another publication. Glowing with grandiose pronouncements and uplifting sentiments, they speak with so much conviction and authority that you feel proud and motivated with patriotic fervour.

Overall, the film achieves its goal of edutainment.

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Visually mesmerising ‘Outer Range’

Among the older lot Josh Brolin as the rancher Royal Abbott, Lili Taylor as his farm wife Cecilia, and Will Patton as their irrational and physically sick neighbour Wayne Tillerson, are very convincing…writes Troy Rebeiro

Series: ‘Outer Range’ (Streaming on Prime Video), Duration: Average 49 minutes per episode (Total 8 episodes), Directors: Alonso Ruizpalacios, Jennifer Getzinger, Amy Seitmetz, Lawrence Trilling
Cast: Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Tamara Podemski, Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Noah Reid, Shaun Sipos, Isabel Arraiza, Olive Abercrombie, Will Patton (Rating: ***1/2)


Films and series set in the countryside of the wild west of America have always been intriguing and ‘Outer Range’ is no different. It is an engaging neo-western with sci-fi elements that astutely wraps the themes of power play, land disputes, family bonding, and time travel into its narrative.

Set in Amelia County of Wyoming, the series centres on the close-knit household of Royal and Cecilia Abbott, whose family is coping with the sudden disappearance of Rebecca, the wife of their son Perry.

Caring for their motherless granddaughter, Amy, and being a support to Perry and Rhett, their other son whose Rodeo career is hanging on the leash, the Abbots are troubled by the Tillersons, their boisterous neighbours who are constantly needling them to sell their land.

To make matters worse, the appearance of a young squatter named Autumn Rivers camping on the west side of their land close to where the mysterious giant hole “connected to time” has appeared on their ranch adds to their woes.

The narrative gathers momentum after the accidental death of one of the residents of the county, and with the Deputy Sheriff following the many trails, the pace seldom slows down. Narrated in a non-linear manner with flashbacks and flashforwards, the plot does seem a bit scrambled by the eighth episode as fatigue sets in.

While the dependence on the super-power (God) is there right from the first frame of the series to its last, the metaphysical sci-fi element at the centre of the narrative meshes seamlessly into the tale, making the entire story relatable.

‘Outer Range’ is a shrewdly made, eight-episode series where its ace cast give it their all in a casual way that only professionals this seasoned and gifted can. All the characters are well-etched, and most of them display a tinge of noir characteristics.

Among the older lot Josh Brolin as the rancher Royal Abbott, Lili Taylor as his farm wife Cecilia, and Will Patton as their irrational and physically sick neighbour Wayne Tillerson, are very convincing.

So are Imogen Poots as the furtive hippy Autumn Rivers, Tom Pelphrey as the troubled Perry, Olive Abercrombie as his daughter Amy, Lewis Pullman as the depressed Rhett, Tamara Podemski as Deputy Sheriff Joy, and Noah Reid and Shaun Sipos as Wayne’s sons Billy and Luke. They are memorable in their roles.

Visually the series is mesmerising. With atmospheric indoor shots and brilliantly captured outdoor scenes, the series is worth watching on a large screen. The image that stays in your mind’s space is the herd of cattle galloping across the frame.

Accompanying the visuals is the exciting background score packed with a vague selection of music which includes some excellent country songs that make the series light and enjoyable.

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‘The Lost City’: An old-fashioned romantic comedy

At the promotion event, wearing a purple sequined outfit and ill-at-ease, Loretta makes a mess of the event and exits as quickly as possible, only to be abducted while waiting for her transport to take her home…reports Troy Rebeiro

Film: ‘The Lost City’ (Running in Theatres), Duration: 112 minutes, Director: Adam and Aaron Nee
Cast: Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar Nunez, Patti Harrison, Bowen Yang, Brad Pitt (Rating: **1/2)

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‘The Lost City’ is a tepid treasure hunt caper that seems to be inspired by the 1983 released ‘Romancing The Stone’.

In this film, Sandra Bullock plays Loretta Sage, a widowed novelist mourning the death of her archaeologist husband, and prefers being low-key.

It is her publisher Beth Hatten (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who pushes Loretta, to complete the book and promote it.

So, after Loretta finishes her novel titled, ‘The Lost City of D’, she grits her teeth and begins the promotion tour with Alan (Channing Tatum), who pretends to be Dash, the hunky romantic hero and the cover model of her novels.

At the promotion event, wearing a purple sequined outfit and ill-at-ease, Loretta makes a mess of the event and exits as quickly as possible, only to be abducted while waiting for her transport to take her home.

She soon discovers that the billionaire archaeology enthusiast, and scion of a media empire, Abigail Fairfax (Daniel Radcliffe), is the mastermind behind her kidnapping. He has been trying to locate an ancient relic – the long-lost precious Crown of Fire, hidden somewhere on a remote jungle island, and he believes that Loretta is the only person who can help him find it, as she mentioned something to this effect in her novel.

When Loretta refuses to cooperate, one of Abigail’s men drugs her and puts her on a jet en route to the forgotten island, where she is expected to translate stone carvings and find the fabled relic.

Meanwhile, Alan behaving like the adventurer in Loretta’s novel sets off to rescue her. He enlists the help of an ex-Navy Seal, Jack Trainer (Brad Pitt), for a search-and-rescue mission which also goes terribly awry, leaving Alan to get through the jungle and to the woman he realises he is in love with.

In true screwball fashion, the two have several contrived and farcical encounters while they attempt to escape the jungle and the clutches of the kidnappers. The relatively plotless meandering of the narrative might test the patience of some viewers, but there are some pleasing bits of action sequences to demonstrate Alan’s brawn. There is also some titillation, where Loretta warms up to Alan after seeing him with his pants down.

Sandra Bullock as Loretta is disappointingly gloomy and mechanical in her demeanour. Similarly, Channing Tatum does not offer us anything exceptional. Nevertheless, he is fun to watch here as he pairs well with Bullock. The only ones who stand out in this film are Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt. Brad Pitt’s scene-stealing scenes provide some hearty laughs, unfortunately, his is only an elaborate cameo.

Overall, ‘The Lost City’ is an old-fashioned romantic comedy that- is not weighed down by heavy drama.

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Why ‘Cubicles – Season 2’ a must-watch series?

The fourth episode titled, ‘The Pink Slip’ is packed with pent-up emotions that surface unexpectedly, and the last episode specifically tells us, “Life is all about the choices one makes”…writes Troy Rebeiro

Series: ‘Cubicles – Season 2’ (Streaming on Sony LIV); Duration: 30 minutes per episode, Director: Chaitanya Kumbhakonum; Cast: Abhishek Chauhan, Badri Chavan, Shivankit Parihar, Jaimini Pathak, Niketan Sharma, Khushbu Baid, Ayushi Gupta, Nidhi Bisht, Ashish Gupta (Rating: ***)

The title ‘Cubicles’, immediately transports your mind to the office maze, which is arguably the most loathed of all office layouts. It conjures up images of dread, drudgery, along with a dictatorial boss at the helm. Such preconceptions are accurate, and research reveals that the cubicles – tend to reduce employee morale and productivity. It is also a place where conflict thrives.

But unlike the above-mentioned preconceived notion, this brief five-episode series, narrated through Piyush Prakapati’s point of view, who is now pretty much settled at the IT firm, Synotech, takes off from where it left in its season one. It tackles the very real kinds of dynamics that you’ll notice in an office, and specifically, that deals with IT.

The first episode begins with Piyush having Monday blues, and while at office, he settles into his cubicle with his colleagues Gautam and Naveen Shetty, Sunaina joins them as their new colleague. She is aggressive and ruthlessly competitive, unlike the others sharing the cubicle. How they co-exist and Piyush rises the ranks in the organisation forms the crux of the season.

The episodes that follow deal with some “quarter-life crises” and office crises, specifically a code going awry. Then the plot gives us an insight into how, “You can twist the statistics, but not the real-life facts”. It is during his moment of frustration, Piyush tenders his resignation but repents after he sends the email to his boss. How he gets out of the sticky situation forms the crux of the third episode.

The fourth episode titled, ‘The Pink Slip’ is packed with pent-up emotions that surface unexpectedly, and the last episode specifically tells us, “Life is all about the choices one makes”.

Each character in the series is well etched. With specific traits, the characters dive into the complex issues in the way they deserve. The script of the series is clean and taut. The plot does not digress into the personal lives of its characters beyond the office space. Also, it does not delve into messy, complicated intra-office relationship issues.

Despite some of the details being a little too cliched and a bit too on the nose at times, especially in the way the organisation is presented, the writing is fairly balanced when depicting interpersonal office relationships and the employer-employee equation.

On the performance front, most of the actors deliver effortless, down-to-earth performances, but it is Jaimini Pathak, who stands out with his understated, and emotionally packed delivery in the fourth episode.

Overall, while the series does not boast of any over-the-top dramatic graph there is something very relatable about this series that makes it worth a watch.

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