Aspirants
Aspirants is an Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age web series produced by The Viral Fever (TVF) and created by Arunabh Kumar and Shreyansh Pandey, written by Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish and was directed by Apoorv Singh Karki.[1] It stars Naveen Kasturia, Shivankit Parihar, Abhilash Thapliyal, Namita Dubey and Sunny Hinduja.[2] The story follows three friends, Abhilash, Guri and SK who are preparing for the UPSC exam at Rajinder Nagar, Delhi.[3]
| Aspirants | |
|---|---|
 Poster of TVF Aspirants | |
| Also known as | TVF Aspirants |
| Genre | Comedy drama |
| Created by |
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| Developed by | Arunabh Kumar |
| Written by | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish |
| Directed by | Apoorv Singh Karki |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Hindi |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producer | Arunabh Kumar |
| Cinematography |
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| Editor | Tushar Manocha |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Production company | The Viral Fever Media Labs |
| Release | |
| Original network | TVF Play YouTube Amazon Prime Video |
| Original release | 7 April 2021 – present |
The series began streaming on 7 April 2021, with five episodes have been premiered online on TVF's YouTube Channel and TVF Play. The season finale aired on 8 May 2021.[4][5]
In October 2023, TVF announced the second season of the series, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 25 October 2023.[6]
Premise
TVF Aspirants is about the past and present of three friends, Abhilash, Guri and SK, who are UPSC aspirants. The past explains their UPSC Aspirant life in Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi and their struggle to crack the examination, while the present examines their lives outside the Rajinder Nagar as adults.
The series is set in Old Rajinder Nagar, a locality in Delhi that is home to several coaching centers and hostels for UPSC aspirants. The story revolves around Abhilash, Guri, and SK, three friends who are preparing for the UPSC exam. The series portrays the ups and downs of their lives, their personal and professional struggles, and their relationships with each other and with their families.
One of the key strengths of the series is its realistic portrayal of the lives of UPSC aspirants. The show provides an honest and raw portrayal of the challenges and struggles that aspirants face while preparing for the exam. The show depicts the long hours of studying, the pressure to succeed, the sacrifices that aspirants have to make, and the toll that the preparation takes on their mental and emotional well-being. It also highlights the financial struggles that many aspirants face, with several characters having to take up part-time jobs to make ends meet.
The characters in the series are well fleshed out and have distinct personalities. Abhilash is a serious and determined aspirant who is driven by his desire to succeed. Guri, on the other hand, is a more laid-back and carefree character who often finds himself in difficult situations. SK is a reserved and introverted character who struggles with his self-esteem and confidence. The interactions between the characters are realistic and relatable, and the chemistry between them is one of the highlights of the show.
The series also does a great job of exploring the personal lives of the characters and their relationships with their families. The show depicts the struggles of aspirants who come from modest backgrounds and have to face the expectations and pressure of their families. The show highlights the emotional toll that the preparation takes on the families of aspirants, who often have to make significant sacrifices to support their children's dreams.
Cast
Main
- Naveen Kasturia as Abhilash Sharma - an IAS officer
- Shivankit Singh Parihar as Gurpreet "Guri" Singh, Dhairya's husband
- Abhilash Thapliyal as Shwetketu "SK" Jha - an UPSC teacher
- Sunny Hinduja as Sandeep Singh Ohlan - a PSC officer
- Namita Dubey as Dhairya - Guri's wife, Abhilash's ex-girlfriend, a NGO worker
Recurring
- Kuljeet Singh as Walia Uncle - Abhilash's landlord
- Bijou Thaangjam as Pema Rijiju - SK's friend, a rapper
- Neetu Jhanjhi as Walia Aunty - Abhilash's landlord
- Nupur Nagpal as Pragati - Guri's ex-girlfriend, a PSC officer
- Abhishekh Sonpaliya as Abhilash's PA
- Darius Chinoy as Abhilash's boss
- Preeti Agarwal Mehta as Anuradha Tiwari IAS
- Sandeep Sharma as Manohar Prakash - Teacher at Abhilash's coaching
- Jaspal Sharma as S. Chandrakant - Account head at Abhilash's coaching
- Salim Siddiqui as Xen Officer
Episodes
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 5 | 7 April 2021 | 8 May 2021 | TVF Play YouTube | |
| 2 | 5 | 25 October 2023 | Amazon Prime Video | ||
Season 1
| Episode | Title | Directed by | Written by | Date of Broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "UPSC - Optional Me Kya Hai?" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | 7 April 2021 | |
| Abhilash entered the Old Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, to prepare for his UPSC CSE, which is famous for Coaching institutes of Civil service examinations. He is trying to change his optional subject but the things become difficult as it is his last attempt. | |||||
| 2 | "Teacher Sahi Hona Chahiye" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | 14 April 2021 | |
| Abhilash became dissatisfied with his teacher in the institute eventually decided to leave his coaching institute as he is worried about his examination. | |||||
| 3 | "Positive Approach Rakh Yaar" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | 21 April 2021 | |
| After being taunted regarding his negative approach, Abhilash went to study at the library, where Dhairya enters his life after which things turn positive. But, things turns out impotent. | |||||
| 4 | "Plan B Kya Hai?" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | 28 April 2021 | |
| Finally, Abhilash realises that cracking UPSC is difficult, no matter how determined a candidate is. He also realises that he needs a backup plan. | |||||
| 5 | "UPSC - Pre...Mains aur Life." | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | 8 May 2021 | |
| IAS Abhilash Sharma struggles when the past meets the present. Things took turn when Sandeep Bhaiya, his mentor cum friend from the past, returns as a colleague and advise him as he used to do. | |||||
Season 2
| Episode | Title | Directed by | Written by | Date of Broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Self Study" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi | 25 October 2023 | |
| Abhilash shares his ambitious vision for Rampur, but businessman Dayanidhi Joshi challenges his administration, while SK and Guri are surprised by Abhilash's unexpected return to ORN in the past | |||||
| 2 | "Strategy" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi | 25 October 2023 | |
| Sandeep Bhaiya's measures against a factory owner present the first roadblock in DM Abhilash's vision. Guri and SK debate whether or not to ask any favour from Abhilash for a crucial project. | |||||
| 3 | "Murphy's Law" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi | 25 October 2023 | |
| Abhilash confronts the striking employees, to which Sandeep registers his objection. Meanwhile, young Abhilash goes through the challenges of the MAINS exam and a painful fight with his old friend SK. | |||||
| 4 | "Mock Interview" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi | 25 October 2023 | |
| DM Abhilash's action against Sandeep threatens to derail their friendship with SK siding with Sandeep. Guri wins back the tender after an anonymous letter disqualifies the previous bidder. | |||||
| 5 | "Final Interview" | Apoorv Singh Karki | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Ashutosh Chaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi | 25 October 2023 | |
| Dhairya confronts Abhilash and convinces him to bury the past ghosts and move on in life. Meanwhile, an angry Sandeep conspires to bring down DM Abhilash. | |||||
Soundtrack
| Aspirants: Season 1 (Music From the TVF Original Series) | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Rohit Sharma, Tushar Mallek, Nilotpal Bora | |
| Released | 7 May 2021 |
| Genre | Soundtrack |
| Length | 27:09 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Label | Contagious Online Media Network Pvt Ltd |
| Producer | Tushar Mallek |
The series' soundtrack features 11 songs composed by Rohit Sharma, Tushar Mallek, and Nilotpal Bora and written by Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, Avinash Chouhan, and Hussain Haidry. The track "Dhaaga" which is originally from TVF's previous series Yeh Meri Family (2018) was reused in the series.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Aspirants Theme" | — | Tushar Mallek | Instrumental | 1:40 |
| 2. | "De Mauka Zindagi" | Avinash Chouhan | Nilotpal Bora | Nilotpal Bora | 2:47 |
| 3. | "Beparwaah" | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | Rohit Sharma | Arnab Dutta | 2:11 |
| 4. | "Mohbhang" | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | Rohit Sharma | Parul Mishra | 1:46 |
| 5. | "Dhaaga" | Hussain Haidry | Nilotpal Bora | Nilotpal Bora | 3:52 |
| 6. | "Bairagi" | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | Rohit Sharma | Rohit Sharma | 3:00 |
| 7. | "Phod De Ya Chhod De" | Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish | Rohit Sharma | Noxious D | 2:25 |
| 8. | "Guiding Light" | — | Tushar Mallek | Instrumental | 2:32 |
| 9. | "Positive Shift" | — | Tushar Mallek | Instrumental | 1:58 |
| 10. | "Triumph" | — | Tushar Mallek | Instrumental | 2:05 |
| 11. | "Aspirants Theme (Extended)" | — | Tushar Mallek | Instrumental | 2:53 |
| Total length: | 27:09 | ||||
Spin-offs
SK Sir Ki Class
- The trailer of the first spin-off named SK Sir Ki Class was released on 16 February 2023. It focuses on SK, his life as UPSC teacher in Old Rajinder Nagar and his struggles to make one of his students Ashish Arora (Gagan Arora) prepare for UPSC, though he doesn't want to.[7]
Sandeep Bhaiya
- The second spin-off Sandeep Bhaiya was premiered on Youtube on 30 June 2023. It follows the early life struggles and passion of Sandeep Singh Ohlan (Sandip Bhaiya) and his life after becoming a PCS officer.[8]
References
- Bureau, ABP News (2021-04-06). "TVF's 'Aspirants' Trailer: New Series Portrays The Arduous Journey Of Becoming IAS Officer". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- "Aspirants trailer: Kota Factory set in the UPSC world". The Indian Express. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-04-29.
- Aspirants (TV Mini-Series 2021– ) - IMDb, retrieved 2021-04-29
- "TVF Aspirants: A Realistic Depiction of Life and Struggles of UPSC Aspirants". Rwmedia. 18 February 2023. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- "Here's when you can watch TVF's Aspirants season finale". The Indian Express. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- "TVF Aspirants to return for second season on Prime Video India, sets premiere date for October 25". Hindustan Times. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- "TVF Aspirants Fame Abhilash Thapliyal Recalls The Great Response He Received As Sk Sir: "I Hadn't Seen This Kind Of Craze…'". Koimoi. 17 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
- "Sunny Hinduja will be seen in web series Sandeep Bhaiya, spin off of Aspirants". Tribune India. 27 June 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.