Stars: Kanchan Mullick, Anindya Sengupta, Rohaan Bhattacharjee
Hostel Days is a coming-of-age comedy television series directed by Satyaki Kundu and Souvik Mondal, and stars Anindya Sengupta, Rohaan Bhattacharjee, Arpan Ghoshal, Roshni Bhattacharyya, Kanchan Mullick, Subha Chattopadhyay, Pushan Dasgupta and Rahul Barui. along with other cast members. . The series has 6 episodes, each lasting 30 minutes.
The problem with hostel and college based shows is that it's very hard to hate them strictly for the nostalgia factor that drives these shows. Hostel Days is Hoichoi's attempt to take that nostalgia into account, and oddly enough, although I haven't stayed in a hostel, I look back on my engineering days with some fondness.
Hostel Days is inspired by other similar programs but, above all, by 3 Idiots. Fortunately, it's not an exact copy, but you see the similarities early in the series. However, being set in universities with a similar environment, where we Bengalis have probably gone too, the series feels like a closer clock and thus more relatable than the 2009 coming-of-age drama.
I mean, Mandarmani has probably become second home for most middle class Bengalis, just like bad food in engineering college. So if you're looking for a blast from the past in the middle of your daily 9-5 grind, Hostel Days won't be the worst there is.
In all honesty, the series does a good job of giving the story a good arc as we transition from the innocence of college to the harsh reality of life. Although we expect Orko to be the "main guy", just like in 3 Idiots, the first character we meet is not the lead. Parikhit's struggle and his ability to see the big picture (as we see in flashbacks) will strike a chord.
The relationship between friends is what makes Hostel Days visible. Regardless of the various aspects at stake, there is something about old friends getting together and trying to work out problems that makes it relevant. And to be honest, I give full credit to Parikhit, Orko and Kapil (and their actors) for creating an air of familiarity and immediacy and keeping the various elements of the series together.
That being said, Hostel Days is in a real rush. The series comes up with these random things out of the blue and rushes through explanations and situations to keep us up to date and on the move, much like it's trying to board a Darjeeling Express that's already on the move from Sealdah. At some points, you'll get whiplash and wonder where this little nugget of situation came from; Did we realize that something like this was happening in the background? In addition, it also introduces conflicts that you decide to do nothing about.
Several inconsistencies later, you're left wondering what the point of the overall conflicts was if we're only starting this in an effort to get it over with as soon as possible.
Now, let's talk about the ending: for some reason, Hostel Days ends abruptly as the three best friends move forward in their relationship. It's not a cliffhanger as there isn't much to look forward to in a coming-of-age drama. However, the ending, and the entire last episode, is rushed and half-baked. You look forward to seeing what happens after a night in the brig, but the series chooses to end without any sort of resolution, leaving you scratching your head in frustration.
Comments
Post a Comment