Have you heard of Saroja Ramachandran? She became a chartered accountant at the age of 59. The series, in its first season, mentioned the lady as one of its inspirations. In the second season, which started streaming on August 27 on Amazon MX Player, Niraj, played with a rare sensitivity by Gyanendra Tripathi, is still struggling to qualify as a CA.
And who knows, he may beat the record of the indefatigable Ms Ramachandran! This dexterously written and executed series tells us to never give up on ourdreams. It is a quiet achiever. Not inclined to drag us into its world forcibly, but not willing to let go either.
So many out there will identify with Niraj and his cousin Archie (Ahsaas Channa) as they plod through a series of interestingly constructed adventures in the academic jungle where only success counts, especially when you are dealing with accounts.
Here I have to confess I had not watched Season 1 of Half CA. After soaking in the utterly believable and likeable characters and situations in Season 2, I went to Season 1.
I suggest you do the same. Watch both seasons. It is worth your while. I wonder why something as creditable as this (and earlier Lafangey) is relegated to a casual-viewing platform! This is a series that upholds the TVF tradition of probing into our educational system, with all its aberrations and anomalies, while ensuring our interest level in the proceedings remains predominant.
The crisply cut, lovingly mounted episodes feel like a sit-in dinner where the lady of the house has personally cooked each and every dish. The series actually leaves us craving for more. While most of the plotting is interesting, I especially liked Niraj’s bonding with his elderly, lonely neighbour who loves to cook and Niraj, well, he doesn’t mind eating her cuisine.
Another high point in the elegantly structured series is Archie’s internship with a serious-looking senior (Rohan Joshi) who doesn’t let her off the hook.
Towards the closure, the series begins to search for excuses to bring tension into the relationships. This could have easily be avoided, not by cutting down the number of episodes, but by letting the characters find their own reasons to keep their heads above the water.
The actors are all first-rate: Gyanendra Tripathi, of course. His ability to manifest his character’s inner world is admirable. From the rest of the cast, Prit Kamani and Manu Bisht should have been given more to do. They are delightful! So is Anmol Kajani, who is happy to give up his dreams of becoming a CA to pursue a career in acting.
“To dream is okay. But your dreams should equal your abilities,” counsels a character. The series achieves a pleasing synthesis of aspiration and execution.
Take a bow, writers Tatsat Pandey, Harish Peddinti and Khushbu Baid, and director by Pratish Mehta.
