'Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya' review: Kay Kay Menon leads charming show
What's the story
Prime Video's new comedy-drama series, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, stars Kay Kay Menon, Archana Puran Singh, Abhimanyu Singh, and Naveen Kasturia, among others. Directed by Himank Gaur and created and executive-produced by Biswapati Sarkar and Sameer Saxena, the series brims with humor and heart. Grounded, raw, and heartfelt, it's a refreshing, entertaining watch that'll remind you of Panchayat and Maamla Legal Hai.
Plot
Menon leads a dysfunctional Delhi school
In the seven-episode series, Menon essays Gyaneshwar Tripathi, a cricket-loving, kind, laid-back government school headmaster.
However, he changes drastically when he learns that the heads of Delhi's top 10 schools will be sent to Cambridge for training.
Singh plays his colleague, Urmila, while Deven Bhojani essays Goldy, an exploitative MLA drunk on power.
Abhimanyu, Kasturia, and Prasanna Bisht play school teachers.
#1
You would love Menon's character
Menon leads the ensemble with his usual finesse, and we instantly feel connected to Gyaneshwar.
His domestic life and his love story with his wife, Sushma (Prachee Shah), are integral to the story, and the makers treat it with tenderness.
It's almost as if the entire project oozes kindness, and you become close to these flawed yet endearing characters within a few minutes.
#2
How does the ensemble do?
Abhimanyu (Inspector Avinash, Khakee: The Bihar Chapter) is a hoot as Hansraj, the Hindi teacher at Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya.
He speaks chaste Hindi, believes in "shaping" students by punishing them, and loves his subject so much that he has named his daughters Sanghya and Kriya!
Bisht (Chiraiya) is also quite watchable as Kanchan, a new joinee who's determined to revolutionize her workplace.
#3
The writing teems with ingenuity
Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya thrives because the script is ripe with potential.
Nearly all teachers have solid backstories, and the show keeps surprising us at regular intervals.
Posham Pa Pictures builds a world that feels gritty and lived-in.
The school's walls are chipped, the management is always low on resources, and the students are unruly and disinterested.
And yet, the teachers soldier on.
#4
The humor does not feel forced
On most occasions, the show strikes the right balance between humor and drama, largely avoiding crass or predictable jokes.
A student thinks the SI unit of "mass" is Allu Arjun, while another says, "Bachhe duniya mein marks laane nahi, khushiyaan failane aaye hain."
Separately, Mukul (Kasturia), the school counselor, is another well-fleshed-out character, and the show deftly explores his struggles as a single father.
#5
Areas where the show falls short
The series could have fared even better if it had some interesting gray characters.
Moreover, it sometimes feels a little too rushed, falls prey to caricatured portrayals, and tends to get extremely sappy and unrealistic.
A teacher's dyslexia is used as a running joke, and it's surprising to see an otherwise sensitive show confuse a learning disability for humor.
Verdict
Prime Video scores yet another hit; 3.5/5 stars
Written by Sarkar, Akshay Asthana, Nupur Pai, Tatsat Pandey, and Meghna Srivastava, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya soars due to its humor and ensemble cast.
The narrative wraps several important issues in humorous packaging, and while it stumbles toward the end, its sincerity and heartfelt approach shine through.
This is a school well worth attending.
3.5/5 stars.