Aspirants S3 Series Review: Enough time for self-reflection and redemption in this compelling new season

The strength of many TVF shows — be it Panchayat, Yeh Meri Family, or Kota Factory — lies in their singular protagonist, from whose perspective the story unfolds, and in their moral clarity about what they want to convey about middle-class India. This template sometimes also turns out to be a weakness since many of these shows often find themselves constrained to be a familiar rhythm and an expected course. 

Cast: Naveen Kasturia, Jatin Goswami, Sunny Hinduja, Namita Dubey, Tengam Celine, Shivankit Singh Parihar

Directed by: Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish

Created by: Arunabh Kumar & Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish

Streaming on: Prime Video

Rating: 3 stars

The new season of Aspirants brings a small, refreshing twist. While revolving around Abhilash (An impressively understated Naveen Kasturia) and his moral conundrums, the series also impressively makes equal space for a determined opponent, Pawan (Jatin Goswami delivers a stellar performance). Both Abhilash and Pawan are strong men, driven by ambition as much as their fears and insecurities. Abhilash has an intriguing arc this season, and the makers use many junctures to underscore the contrast in his long journey. Once an unconditional rule-abider, he now finds himself at the centre of a major enquiry that accuses him of everything he once aspired not to be.  Whether giving a byte to a TV channel or mentoring a team of enthusiastic UPSC aspirants, Abhilash can never shed the pressure to be the heroic leader everyone expects him to be.  On the other hand, Pawan too has a handful of psychological barriers that often deter him from achieving his true potential. In a gripping confrontation set in a classroom full of young men looking up to them, the two men are compelled to ponder the true meaning of emotional intelligence.

It’s only normal that these men would find themselves pitted against each other because they are, in some ways, mirrors to each other. Aspirants S3 does a good job of not antagonising one of them and glorifying the other. It takes a distant seat in the auditorium and empathetically observes the action that unfolds during such a powerful clash. Abhilash almost becomes an anti-hero because you can never be sure whether to pick sides. Pawan Kumar, for all his flaws and insecurities, is one fascinating protagonist.

However, this focus on the Abhilash-Pawan duel also reduces the scope for other characters in this universe to make their mark. It’s perhaps also why the conflict between Abhilash and SK (Abhilash Thapliyal) is brushed off in broad, easy strokes and hurried conversations, with a touch of lightness. The priorities lie somewhere else this time. Guri, SK, and Deepa are unwittingly sidelined in the new season, with little of their own goal or conflicts to work around. In comparison, Dhairya (Namita Dubey) gets an interesting arc, which involves vulnerable conversations with many, including Abhilash, Guri, and Sandeep. Yet you can’t shake the feeling that this remains primarily a man’s world, where women and their troubles are always given a secondary place. The story remains of these well-intended men and their moral struggles to walk the talk. 

There are other tropes that Aspirants S3, like most other TVF shows, cannot avoid falling for. One understands the significance of a cliffhanger for a much-loved franchise like this, but the ‘pulling the rug under your feet’ trope is just too reminiscent of one of the older seasons of Panchayat and Kota Factory. There is the occasional cloying dialogue that goes overboard in attempting to underline the themes the series is trying to explore. 

Having said that, you have to give credit that the new season also continues to attempt to explore the moral ambiguity of these ‘heroic’ figures, in the first place. For anyone who instantly fell in love with Sunny Bhaiyya, season 3, just like season 2, turns out to be a refreshing insight into what years of struggling with systematic barriers could lead to. There is also a pleasant, self-assured confidence in how Aspirants S3 takes its own time and the narrative unfolds at its own pace, barely showing any sense of hurry. The confidence is also evident in the frequent yet smooth transitions from the past to the present, and the use of elaborate songs (albeit in the background) to underline the sentimentality of the evolving journeys of its key figures. 

Above all, what remains interesting is that the new season also gives Abhilash enough time and opportunities to reflect on his journey and choices. In that sense, the title makes perfect sense. The word ‘aspirant’ implies a journey that is yet to meet its destination. Like for most of the men Aspirants revolves around, this too is a story of growing up and constant self-reflection and redemption, no matter how powerful you become in the eyes of the world that looks up to you.