Season 2 is about the lives of three friends outside Old Rajinder Nagar in Delhi as adults. But it doesn't match its predecessor.
A poster of the web series 'Aspirants Season 2'. (X)
Aspirants Season 2 (Hindi)
For those who haven’t seen Aspirants Season 1 (2021), the story revolves around the past and present of three friends — Abhilash Sharma (Naveen Kasturia), Gurupreet aka Guri (Shivankit Singh Parihar), and Shwetketu aka SK (Abhilash Thapiyal).
The past dealt with their aspirations of cracking UPSC and the various struggles that came their way.
The first season of Aspirants was a big success. An important reason for the show’s success was the realistic portrayal of the UPSC aspirants.
The distinct characterisations also made the show a big winner. For example, Abhilash is a serious person.
Guri, on the other hand, is more carefree. Finally, SK is an introvert who struggles on the account of low self-esteem and confidence.
Now the makers are back with Aspirants Season 2, which also moves between two timelines.
The setting of Season 1 is Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi. The present portions are about their lives outside Rajinder Nagar as adults.
In Aspirants Season 2, Abhilash is posted as a DM in Rampur. Guri makes constant attempts to get government contracts. SK works as a teacher.
‘Aspirants Season 2’ is streaming on Prime Video. (X)
The story in this series primarily focuses on how these three navigate the challenges of their respective professional careers along with friendship dynamics.
One of the things that Apoorv Singh Karki gets right is the problems that arise in maintaining friendships when priorities shift in life. This has been portrayed realistically and will definitely find an echo with many men and women.
The director also does a good job of showcasing Abhilash’s journey as a district magistrate. The day-to-day challenges of an administrative job have been portrayed with authenticity.
Abhilash finds himself at odds with Sandeep Bhaiya (Sunny Hinduja), his senior in the coaching institute. There was a time when Abhilash idolised Sandeep. But now, they are at a crossroads because of their different ideologies.
Sunny Hinduja plays an assistant Labour commissioner. This war of ideologies plays a major part in Aspirants Season 2 and gives the show some of its best moments.
A major area where Apoorv Singh Karki fails is his depiction of the political problems. One of the subplots involves protesting villagers. This has been dealt with in a very haphazard way, making them come across as semi-villains.
Sunny Hinduja in ‘Aspirants Season 2’. (X)
A character from Northeast India is introduced in Aspirants Season 2, but it doesn’t have any particular significance to the story.
The depiction of women’s characters is another major problem.
Namit Dubey, as Guri’s wife, is impressive. But the character doesn’t go beyond a traditional housewife. Her compromises don’t make any sense.
The performances across the board are good, particularly Naveen Kasturia and Sunny Hinduja.
Naveen Kasturia is successful in carrying the intensity from the first season. His character arc is designed well, and the actor does complete justice to it.
Sunny Hinduja also does a wonderful job of showcasing the pain of Sandeep.
Apoorv Singh Karki is good at portraying the difficulties of sustaining friendship. But the series doesn’t completely match its predecessor.
The best way to enjoy Aspirants Season 2 is by watching it with low expectations.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
May 06, 2024
May 06, 2024
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