Aspirants is the latest release of the household production company TVF. TVF is known for its light, relatable and realistic content. It has been regularly churning out shows which have been received well by the audiences, be it the youth dramas like Flames, Kota Factory, College Romance or a few mature ones like Pitchers and Panchayat. Aspirants, does not disappoint the extensive fanbase of the channel, evident from the vast viewership it has received. The 5th episode which premiered almost a month later than the other four received more than 5 million views in a day and is still trending on Youtube after four days. 

The show is certainly a breath of fresh air. It has rigour, pace, emotion, drama, soulful music, good direction, acting and writing yet it falls short of a description as “acha hai” to “theek hai”. The first episode is promising. It sets the premise and the tone of the show which is quite appealing. The opening speech by Abhilash Thapliyal’s SK at a class full of UPSC aspirants is impactful. The whole setup of Rajinder Nagar, the hustle of the students preparing to compete in one of the toughest exams in the country, and the middle-classed, authentic portrayal make you buy into the show and raise your expectations from it. 

Four out of the five episodes primarily deal with issues that need to be overcome in order to pass the exam, along with considerable subplots. Beginning with the skepticism to choose the right optional subject, then to the age-old notion of a teacher not being capable of providing the required guidance as he himself did not achieve the goal, then what should be the right approach while answering open-ended questions to finally the dilemma of having a plan B or not. The episodes more or less glide through smoothly. The viewer is interested throughout and is keen to know about the conflict being mentioned multiple times. 

However, the 5th episode does not live up to expectations. The 4th episode had left a lot of questions unanswered. What was the fight between Guri and Abhilash about? How did Abhilash become an IAS officer even after failing all four attempts? Will Abhilash attend the wedding? Will he reconnect with Dhairya? Indeed all the answers are found in the last episode but have been showcased in haste. The climax is cliched and seems to be rushed. The writing of this episode doesn’t level with the previous ones. Though it suffices the viewer in terms of the emotional aspect but does not fulfill the need to have had a more substantial end to the show.

One thing which definitely stood out was the acting performances. Abhilash, technically the lead of the show played by Naveen Kasturia does full justice to the complex arc provided to him. He is effortless in the portrayal of the main character on whom the core conflict of the narrative is based. The emotional scenes have been pulled off quite neatly. Abhilash Thapliyal as the sweet and vulnerable SK is a well-suited character. His earnest performance makes his presence effective. The third character and the third member of the gang, Guri, a fun-loving person played by Shivankit Singh Parihar is both strong and sensitive. He effectively executes the role of a guy who is hard on the outside and soft inside. Apart from the three leads, Sandeep bhaiya played by Sunny Hinduja plays a memorable role too. He makes brief appearances, but his character has a decisive part. He delivers it conveniently.

Overall, the show has registered itself successfully amongst the youth. It offers the much-needed emotion and drama and serves the viewer well with what is known as the ‘relatability factor’.

Web Series Rating: 3.5/5

Episode 1 Recap: UPSC - Optional Me Kya Hai?