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Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi
Directors: Rahul Pandey, Satish Nair
Cast: Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Akash Makhija, Alka Amin, Pankaj Jha, Kumar Saurabh, Garima Singh, Ishita Ganguly
Streaming Platform: SonyLIV
Streaming platform SonyLIV has dished out some great shows over the years. From Scam 1992 to the Gullak series and the most recent Rocket Boys this year, the streaming platform has engaged the audience with a variety of content. This weekend, its offering is Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi, which is an earnest but adequate attempt at a small town drama.
Starring Vaibhav Tatwawadi, Akash Makhija and Alka Amin in pivotal roles, Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi revolves around a city boy who goes back to his ancestral village to attend his brother’s wedding. Well, that’s not the only thing on Nirmal’s agenda during his brief stay. A writer by profession, he’s also the bearer of sad news. The show kicks off on an interesting note as he gets abducted while reaching his hometown in Buxar, Bihar.
The first few minutes gives you an idea that the series is leaning towards comedy drama, simply because there’s so much of it. Across the five episodes, comedic relief comes and goes but it is never clever. Rahul Pandey and Satish Nair have developed characters such as the politics-loving macho brother, the grumpy uncle, a grandfather and the lead Nirmal’s two mothers – a village lady and an urban, professional woman as his second mother.
As the show progresses, the writers strive to show Nirmal’s connection to the family things remain largely unclear. Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi keeps shifting between comedy and a heartwarming story of a city boy exploring his roots. But the confusion looms large. For example, Nirmal speaks in English with his second mom and while conversing, but writes in Hindi on his laptop. This disconnect keeps you from being fully invested or even rooting for Nirmal’s story.
Despite being a five-episode brief show, Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi moves at a slow pace, taking its time to unravel the details. The treatment of comedy and drama also adds to the confusion. Experiencing mild culture shocks, Nirmal’s character is given the burden of tackling patriarchy, misogyny and even classism in a short 5-day trip.
Vaibhav Tatwawadi as Nirmal is earnest in his performance, so is Akash Makhija as the goon brother who is hoping to get a seat at the next elections. Senior actress Alka Amin, as always, brings her authentic self to the screen and is impressive. The show’s casting is on point and the supporting cast also adds value.
From a die-hard Salman Khan fan to enthusiastic relatives, Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi gets its small-town flavour right. The show seems heartwarming, authentic and rooted in its story. However, it pales in comparison to some of the recent web series releases that have gone on to become a household name.
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