Set in picturesque by-lanes, directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, ‘Gullak‘ is an endearing web series by TVF in a generic North Indian city with charm and wit. Gullak is an assortment of incapacitating and relatable tales of the Mishra family and their day-to-day struggles; attempting to get by within their modest means while attempting to better their lot, with dabs of lived-in, quotidian feels: quibbling and quarreling, but at the end of the day, firmly there for each other. Why a piggy bank (Gullak), you ask? Because this one collects memories instead of coins!
Gullak unfolds varying events in the life of the Mishras. The Mishras rarely talk to each other with politeness or in low volumes, however, their adoration radiates through the day by day quarrels and acidic comments. There’s the venerating and savage mother Shanti (Geetanjali Kulkarni) who once in a while talks without yelling. Her charming and excusing spouse Santosh (Jameel Khan) works at the neighborhood power division. Their elder child Annu aka Anand (Vaibhav Raj Gupta), who is stressed over the family’s future, is getting ready for Staff Selection Commission (SSC) tests, and his giddy more youthful sibling Aman (Harsh Mayar) is his middle-class crime partner.
Gullak mined the profound from the trivial over five crisp but luscious episodes. The show has a smooth balance of laugh-out-loud humor with more subtle mood shifts, which is relatable through its simple narrative. It proves that this is the story of almost every Indian middle-class family. With casual life events, the Mishras wrestle with noisy washing machines, battles between the kins, complaints about the food (no, not ‘disappointing yellow aloo chawal’ its called ‘Tehri’) and neighborhood aunties, am sure you remember Bittu’s mom!
On a totally different note, I think, Gullak is a tribute to the normal Indian mother – somebody who uses outrage as an essential instrument and words as her weapon, however, does a large portion of the hard work in keeping the family together. Gullak addresses profound issues, including financial stability and the dread of joblessness, however coasts over them, as if to argue that pain and pleasure are a part of living and add to the wealth of experience and stories in the piggy bank of life.
It changed our view of “light” watching. Despite the fact that each scene is intended to bestow an exercise, and they may all seem irrelevant like a compilation with a similar cast, its universe actually inspires a feeling of movement. Not at all like sitcoms that shun passionate coherence for different parts, there is as yet a feeling of time pushing ahead. There is a feeling of characters advancing and learning, as opposed to failing to remember and performing.
We have seen a similar framework in several movies and web series, it’s not guns or gangs in Gullak but delicate humor that is an offer. It’s this closeness, which comes through the day-to-day lifestyle, which makes this perfect to watch. The moments of amiability come from the small things – purchasing ice cream as a treat after supper, or a prize of Rs 40 given by the father to the sons as a tip.
Additionally, this drama is laced with pitch-perfect performances by talented Jameel Khan and a fantastic Geetanjali Kulkarni, who wrongly pronounced few words with utmost ease (inverter or inberter) though she makes an awesome pivot as the spouse and-mother who try to make everything possible, bothering everybody with equivalent energy so they can do of their best. The liveliness of Annu and Aman perfectly captures the siblings’ relationship like any other siblings – they can’t stand each other and can’t live without one another( you can have my kidney but no, don’t dare to touch my part of food). It is nice to be around these four characters and see them bond and fight together.
However, in more than five short scenes, I developed a value of nothingness. The steady prattle. The life structures of their confined spaces. The trivial personality bothers. I enjoyed that the jokes and analogies (kite-flying, PF accounts) are working class as well. The meaning of vividness need not be focused on the commitment to connect with the watcher. There were times I daydreamed of procedures, turned away, fantasized, looked through online media, and turned around in the manner one may at a little gathering, without feeling judged or constrained. This is a sort of vividness as well, yet one that is more fit to live than film. The actual clamor is ameliorating, the voices disintegrate out of the spotlight; individuals and discussions aren’t pretty much as significant as the vibe of the human organization itself. Overall, this family drama isn’t a laugh riot, but it will definitely crack you up and make you grin.
Do watch & let us know your thoughts, we’re waiting!