Amazon Prime Video’s Pushpavalli is the most compelling stalker story I have watched in the Indian context. Sumukhi Suresh has created a show which is engaging enough to keep the viewer hooked throughout its eight-episode long run. Pushpavalli is funny, petty, stupid, introspective, clever, and thrilling, all at the same time. 

Pushpavalli is the story of a girl in her 20s called Pushpavalli, who is a stalker. Her name also means a creeper, which she is throughout the show. Pushpavalli accidentally ends up making friends with a food trader, Nikhil at a conference and is smitten by him. Thereafter, she follows him like crazy. She moves cities for him and even takes a job in the same lane as Nikhil to be in close proximity with him. 

The show is set in Bangalore. Pushpavalli goes back and forth from her PG to the children’s library she works at. Both settings are filled with amazingly written and well-performed characters with hilarious quirks. Pankaj, played by comedian Naveen Richard, also one of the head writers of the show, is a loud-mouthed, short-tempered, and a rather impertinent man. He is both Pushpavalli’s childhood friend who gave her the job at the library, and her boss who leaves no opportunity to insult her at work. Though he loses his cool often, he has a sensitive side to him which we witness briefly at the end. The scenes between Pankaj and Pushpavalli are some of the best in the show and strike a fantastic comic chord. 

On the other hand, at the PG, the landlady played to perfection by ex-RJ Shraddha, is a character who lights up the screen. Her annoyed expression and complaining nature is portrayed with great nuance. Her relationship with the PG girls is of a typical warden who is extremely meticulous and strict with respect to the set rules. She speaks in a tone as if mocking the listener all the time. The mispronouncing of names and speaking with a mix of English and Kannada also adds a lot of humour.

Throughout the show, Pushpavalli tries to get into Nikhil’s mind. She adopts all kinds of tactics and even has an assistant, the tea-boy, who is also an interesting character. Nikhil is the center of almost all the situations in the show and every action of Pushpavalli is guided by her obsession to be aware of every step Nikhil takes. Poor Nikhil is, however, oblivious to Pushpavalli’s fanatic behaviour. 

In the last episode of the show, a tear-jerking monologue by Pushpavalli throws light on her body image issues. It leads the viewer to introspect on their actions and the reaction or the effect, be it short-term or long-term it may have on the people around. In a world where judging the book by its cover is the norm, Nikhil looks beyond Pushpavalli’s outer appearance and values her for her wit and intelligence and thus makes her feel comfortable. While Pushpavalli’s action often makes the viewer feel uncomfortable, we understand her point of view. And that, perhaps, is the biggest achievement in this show.

The show in totality is entertaining and leaves you in splits at multiple instances. In the generation of OTT platforms where every other youth show is about mushy couples and their love stories, Pushpavalli definitely tries to push the boundary and excels in it. 

Rating: 4/5

Season 1 Episode 1 Recap: Bhopal to Bangalore

Season 2 Episode 1 Recap: Ab aap kya karengi