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Cast: Geetanjali Kulkarni, Jameel Khan, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Harsh Mayar and Sunita Rajwar
Creator: TVF & Shreyansh Pandey.
Director: Palash Vaswani.
Streaming On: Sony Liv
Language: Hindi (with subtitles).
Runtime: 5 Episodes Around 40 Minutes Each.
Gullak Season 3 : What’s It About:
The Mishras are back. Annu is now a working individual, which means a new source of income has arrived. But with it, the expenses have also skyrocketed. Aman who topped his boards is now confused about what to do ahead, while the family pushes him for science, and with it comes the hefty fees. They go through a nightmare and come out with a sense of love, happiness and leave us giving us immense hope.
Gullak Season 3 : What Works:
In my opinion, Gullak is now beyond reviews and validation. Coming out of the TVF-Sony Liv mill, it is now in the grounds where the line between reel and real are blurred, a place where the middle class finds redemption, a zone which feels we are peeping into the Mishra Niwas through the broken glass of a cranky window. These are no longer characters played by seasoned actors but real three dimensional people who breathe the same air as you and I do. But who will pay my bills if I don’t write a review? This could pretty well turn out to be a love letter to the creators. You are warned!
Written by Durgesh Singh, one of the most observational writers, Gullak Season 3 kick starts a few days from the point season 2 ended. Remember that family portrait the four captured as papa placed his hand on Annu’s shoulder and we all broke into tears? It is framed and now sits on the wall of the living room. (Observation: Annu wears the same/similar t-shirt in the season 3 climax too). Annu is coming of age, Aman is approaching the age of crazy things, papa is still figuring out life and mummy still has to shout in order to be heard in a house with men in majority.
Literally nothing in the base syntax has changed and it is victory of the team to have started exactly where they left off and making it feel like we saw the last episode of season 2 just yesterday. With season 3 the camera widens its horizon a bit. The world confined to the walls with wearing off paint, is now capturing the essence of the landscape it is set in.
Durgesh Singh and Palash Vaswani together acknowledge their viewers and respect their love as they create season 2 in moments rather than bigger scenes. The best part is that these moments just pass and are never zoomed or highlighted. For example, the aforementioned portrait is never captured in a still frame, it just exists. Or in a key scene when Annu finally ‘gro s up’ and wears Papa’s slippers, you are never spoon-fed.
And of course, the emotions and the tears are bi-products of Gullak and that goes without saying. Adding more this already filled bucket is DOP Shiv Prakash, who invokes a sense of nostalgia because now you know these people and the set up in and out. He captures the world of Mishras through doors, windows and even with pillar without trying to cut it out of the frame. It makes you realise how little their world is but how content they are with it. Anurag Saika has given this show a title track that is one amongst the best 5 for me in the Indian OTT space. He continues to evolve with the story and personally too.
Gullak Season 3 : Star Performance:
Together as a team, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Jameel Khan, Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Harsh Mayar have become their characters. There is not even an inch of their real selves in the frame ever but the characters they have created feel so authentic and heartfelt that you want to believe this is real. Their dialogue exchange is so organic that it doesn’t look like it was shot for a camera.
Vaibhav as Annu deserves all the special mentions that will come his way this season. He has the spotlight and be makes sure he doesn’t take that for granted. His character goes through the maximum transformation and that has to reflect in not just his dialogues and acting but also in his body language, his approach, and Vaibhav makes sure his eyes do it too. He has to sacrifice his dream for his younger brother and the agony of not having enough to achieve both is a scene where he hits a goal.
Harsh Mayar is also going through a change and you can see him doing all he can to excel in his part. Geetanjali Kulkarni and Jameel Khan are actors who are way beyond validation and my experience is a drop in the vast ocean these talents are. Kulkarni brings Shanti alive and you can see your mother in her. Jameel represents every adorable father with so much honesty.
Gullak Season 3 : What Doesn’t Work:
However a massive fan I am of the show, I will not ignore the fact that season 3 does take a dip in episode 3. The glue to join the events and make them look one is highly missing and should have been there. Titled Agua, the episode is a good storyline independently but doesn’t fit in the scheme of things on the show. It takes you out of the experience in a bigger way, only to be saved by the trajectory that takes you inside in full force.
Gullak Season 3 Review: Last Words:
Gullak 3 brings back the feel good factor with a pinch of nostalgia and a tablespoon full of emotions. This a broth you must relish without asking many questions, because the smile it leaves you with will answer all of them.
Want some more recommendations for this weekend? Read our Rocket Boys Review here.
