Aspirants and Kota Factory: Belly Flopper into Competitive Examination Preparations
Whether you are an adult with high aspirations to get into civil services, or a teenager toiling hard to crack JEE examinations, the current scenario laced with the deadly virus of COVID-19 is bound to test your motivation and dedication. But worry not as we bring forth the ‘must-watch’ content that will boost your energy level and raise the bar of your motivation graph amid the pandemic.
Amassing 1.7 crore views alone, the episode 4 of ‘Aspirants’ series where Naveen Kasturia (Abhilash) and Sunny Hinduja (Sandeep Bhaiya) are drenched to the skin in the rain while their fellow aspirants like Shivankit Singh (Guri), Abhilash Thapliyal (SK) and Namita Dubey (Dhariya) are standing under their umbrellas, one begins to contemplate the significance of Plan B (alternative).
This 190-second symbolic scene of the current popular web series depicts the umbrella as plan B. And it saves those who have already chalked it out. Undeniably, it remains one of the striking scenes in the entire web series. There are no dialogues in the scene but the atmosphere around the slow-motion rainy scene accompanied by the emotional track ‘Dhaaga’ depicts the despaired ambience of the moment.
Spanning over five episodes, newly released Aspirants is predominantly a tale of three best friends- Abhilash, SK and Guri- popular as ‘tripod’ in their college for their strong friendship and often collective appearance. The show also depicts the coiled lives of UPSC aspirants with their struggles and failures. It also digs deep to show an intimate image of aspiration of India. Besides being successful in that, the series invests on a stubborn heart, unwilling to sacrifice his dream for anything else.
‘Aspirants- Pre…Mains…Aur Life’ and ‘Kota Factory’ are both being presented by India’s most loved streaming platform, TVF (The Viral Fever); the first to bring the concept of ‘web series’ to the Indian audience, in association with Unacademy, one of the largest Indian online educational platforms. The former series deals with UPSC aspirants while as the latter revolves around IIT candidates. Both are available on YouTube for free.
The characters are shown preparing for UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) exam at Rajendra Nagar (Delhi), known as the hub of IAS coaching. Hence, the series, through these characters, peeks into the struggle of UPSC aspirants and the colossal pressure they encounter with each passing attempt. Besides, it is also a divine ode to a millennial friendship revealed alongside.
Apart from these three characters, emerges another powerful character & aspirant- Sandeep. Though with a less screen time, it’s mostly through Sandeep one learns, cries and gets inspired. He represents low income students going through financial crisis with bundle of responsibilities on their shoulders. Some of the tough, wise and genuine life lessons are taught by Sandeep bhaiya in this series. Just when Abhilash finds himself in dilemma, one sees Sandeep’s wisdom coming to his rescue. And his lessons are not exclusively for Abhilash but for thousands of students in quest of finding the right path. The series acts as a morale booster for not only those who qualify but, for also those who fail.
From selecting the right optional subject to choosing either a partner or career, to deciding on holding onto the existing job or not, to finding the alternative plan; the series is a package of every perplexity UPSC aspirants go through. The plot craftily and emotionally brings the real portrayal of the students aspiring to clear one of the toughest exams on screen. One not only gets inspired with Sandeep’s wise dialogues but, also through some poetic lines recited by SK from time to time such as:
‘Kon kehta hai ki asmaan mai suraakh ho nahi sakta, ek pathar toh tabiyat se uchalo yaaro’
Abhilash is an ambitious guy who has come to study for IAS after quitting his engineering job. Guri is an outspoken Jatt hile SK is poetic and a soft spoken guy who thus balances the overall picture. Sandeep bhaiya, on the other side, reflects people’s anxiety to better their future. Because UPSC doesn’t only guarantee you a job rather it wraps you in dignified apparels in the society.
The friendship theme never really takes over the show and it”s the ambition for the UPSC which is at the driving seat till Sandeep Bhaiya intervenes and adds another feather to the show. Hence, the writers must be complimented for holding on to the spirit of the show.
This mini-series dives into the story through flashbacks- switching between the present and past of the lead characters, skillfully joining all the dots of the story and hence, successfully able to glue the viewer till the end. The shift between the past and the present has been made smooth through the distinct appearance of the characters. We get to know about the friendship history of ‘tripod’ and why they drifted apart. Moreover, the duration of each episode (40-45 minutes) comfortably pins the viewer making it a gripping watch.
The series contains several heartwarming and memorable moments. The performance of the cast is commendable and have look fit as a fiddle throughout. The series is a perfect example of good cinematography, storyline and background score.
It does’n’t override ambition and creates a sense of balance between realism and ambition, with some noteworthy points of suspense. One of which may be the return of Sandeep Bhaiya to the series as AssistantLabor Commissioner.
It is, undeniably, a must watch for all the aspiring UPSC candidates searching for some positivity and motivation amid the lockdown.
Another mini-series to watch out is Kota Factory which revolves around the struggle of IIT aspirants preparing for JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) at Kota (Rajasthan), the hotspot of IIT coaching centres in India. It can be called a mini version of Aspirants, but the realistic element in the former series works magic for it.
Coaching for the entrance examinations in Kota, Rajasthan, to get into the sixteen functioning IITs —which test quantitative aptitude of high school graduates in Physics, Chemistry and Math —is today a multi-million-dollar industry. However, the rising level of suicides in Kota over years has given a bad tag to this place. The atmosphere is stringent and does’n’t allow any free time to explore other dimensions of life.
The five-episode-series titled, Kota Factory, in black and white, through the character of Vaibhav takes us into the life of an IIT candidate who leaves his home in the middle of the year to get admission in Kota’s top coaching institute– Maheshwari which would ultimately land him into IIT. Unable to get into Maheshwari, Vaibhav ends up in another coaching institute Prodigy where he befriends Meena and Uday- who provide him incessant support. The series again doesn’t spin the yarn and has honestly tried to show the journey of young IIT candidates. The two shows might appear to walk along similar lines in certain aspects but Aspirants is totally the salt of the earth among the two.
The achromic palette of Kota factory depicts the monotonous and charmless life of an IIT candidate who cuts himself off from the rest of the world. Initially, Vaibhav feels unstable and frustrated but, later on learns to cope up with the help of motivational talks given by his physics teacher popularly called as Jeetu bhaiya. Just like we have Sandeep in Aspirants to come to Abhilash’s rescue, we have Jeetu in Kota Factory to help out Vaibhav.
The series portrays the complex and stringent schedule of IIT aspirants, their prosiac lifestyle at rented rooms and the burden of their parents’ expectations. They can’t quit even if they feel incapable for IIT. It also highlights the bitter truth that coaching has, undoubtedly, become a business, a factory, where students are seen as commodities, bound to provide the profit to the centres by fetching the top rank. It shows Kota is only meant for those who are capable to climb upto the top, average students find no space and aren’t even heard even if they try to raise a genuine concern. The candidates don’t try to change the system rather they woefully change themselves.
But again the stumbling block in the series, rather than in the entire structure of the education system, is the absence of critical thinking in these class rooms. It seems they are manufacturing robots who are cut from the outside world. Hence, raising concern on the robust process of preparation these candidates go through.
To conclude, both the mini-series are an excellent examples of well-researched filmmaking. Besides, these series are treat for such aspirants as well as those searching for some quality, realistic and gripping content in this lockdown.
The authors are the graduates in Media Studies from University of Kashmir. They are freelance feature writers and film reviewers.
