TVF’s Aspirants is one of those series that has managed to blend the Indian flavor into the series format in the most convincing manner. If you examine other successful series, they generally follow the internationally accepted format and accurately depict the reality of those emotions. However, Aspirants is a series that aims to incorporate the signature elements of our mainstream, such as dramatic dialogues, visually staged conflicts, and even songs, within the series format. While the first season was more of a drama built around the idea of friendship in a highly competitive scenario, such as UPSC preparation, the second season headed towards a space where the conflicts were becoming less grey. When it comes to the third season, the fights are extremely dramatic initially. But somewhere towards the end, you get the emotional warmth that was there in the first season, and that makes this season worthy of your time.
The second season ended with Sandeep Ohlan’s complaint against Abhilash Sharma for favoritism, leading to the formation of an inquiry committee. While the inquiry was happening, Abhilash decided to take up a new project for Rampur that needed a massive 1000 acres of land. The new DM of Sambhal, Pawan, whom Abhilash knows from his final attempt at UPSC, also bids for the same project. With past grudges between these two coming in the way of Abhilash’s efforts to get this new project going, what we see this time is the history and future of their ideological rivalry.
In the early areas of this season, especially in the first episode, how the series introduces us to the familiar and new characters happens in the most dramatic way. We have SK prioritizing Sandeep Bhaiyya over Abhilash, and then there is that whole Mahabharat reference happening between Abhilash and Pawan. Just when you start to think whether TVF is trying to push the series into a zone that might cater to those who enjoy daily soaps, some of the elements that made this series emotional and impactful start to unfold. Like the sequence where a debate between Abhilash and Pawan leads to a monologue from their teacher about how high EQ is actually cracking the sensible middle ground. Abhilash is a character who is extremely grey, as his aspiration has made him an emotionally unavailable person. In a way, the idea of this new season is to put an end to his emotional uncertainty and ego.
Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, who has only served as a writer till the last season, this time takes up the task of direction. And he maintains the visual language set by Apoorv Singh Karki that uses background score and slow-motion shots for the dramatic impact. I also felt that his visual approach has a sense of meticulousness. There is a moment in the initial patch where Dhairya reveals something important, and they have gently broken the 180-degree rule to emphasize the energy shift. The staging and blocking of major moments actually convey the power dynamics through elements like lighting and the position of characters. The writing has certain limitations this time, as it can’t really accommodate every character with equal space. And since it is more about Abhilash, the emphasis is more on characters who are close to him and new to us. There are some really good songs that are used in snippets and have that emotional impact.
Naveen Kasturia, as the main character Abhilash Sharma, is yet again getting to play this conflicted space of the character in both the parallel tracks. The image-oriented confusions of this character are largely internalized, and we only see him in that visually shattered space once in the whole season. Naveen Kasturia was able to convey the predicaments of that character without being excessively dramatic on screen. Jatin Goswami is the new addition to the character pool of this series, playing the role of Pawan Kumar, someone who looks like a very vocal version of Manoj from the 12th Fail, as he advocates for Hindi-medium students. The series opts for a style where we look at Pawan as a man who wants to take revenge. However, as the story progresses, we realize why the project was personal for him, and Jatin Goswami was able to bring in that optimum level of melodrama in his performance. Tengam Celine as Deepa gets more space this time as we get to know more about her equation with Abhilash and her journey to becoming an IPS. The other key members in the cast, like Shivankit Singh Parihar’s Guri, Abhilash Thapliyal’s SK, Namita Dubey’s Dhairya, and Sunny Hinduja’s iconic Sandeep Bhaiyya, are all significant to the journey of the character or the structure of the story. However, in terms of screentime of performance, their space is very minimal, with occasional appearances.
There was an emotional warmth factor in the first season of the series, which was largely built around Rajendar Nagar, that made it very relatable to many. The evolution of the series is forcing the story to step into terrains where the dynamics in relationships aren’t that black and white. The nature of the job is making every decision made here look like a diplomatic decision, where you will have to deal with the displeasure of someone for every choice you make. In that sense, Aspirants is slightly drifting away from the comfort watch space, but you can’t really blame that decision, as it feels like a necessary step in its progression. Looking at what has happened at the end of the third season, I am curious to know how Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish will narrate such an aggressive story without tampering with the show’s DNA.
