Creator: Anand Suspi
Stars: Ashish Vidyarthi, Jiten Mukhi, Prakash Bare
In the final release of the weekend, I finished watching the new Hindi series Half Pants Full Pants which is streaming on Amazon Prime. This seemed like a last minute release by the OTT giant given that it was released with virtually no promotion. To give you some perspective, its trailer dropped just a couple of days before its release. And while I was skeptical, I still wanted to give this series a voice given our set culture at Popcorn Reviews that likes to give independent filmmakers and production companies a platform. So, not knowing anything about the series, I decided to watch and review the Half Pants Full Pants series. Is it worth your time, let's find out.
Based on a novel of the same name by Anand Suspi, Half Pants Full Pants follows the story of a boy and the episodes of his life full of curiosity that make up a part of his childhood. The story will definitely manage to put a smile on your face due to its simplicity, a period when technology was non-existent. In fact, the drama reminded me of the good old Malgudi Days that I had a lot of fun watching in my childhood. Personally, those were the good old days for me too, free of stress and heartbreak, where the biggest problem was why I didn't get a bat while playing cricket. So, there was an instant feeling of nostalgia that hit me while watching this beautiful drama. The script of 8 episodes of about 20-30 odd minutes each ensures that the drama is energetic and doesn't overdo it.
The tone of the drama is set by the voiceover that is powerful enough to transport you to your childhood when mobile phones did not exist. The focus was on physical interaction with the people around you instead of virtual interaction as it is today. The drama is coated in saccharin that will brighten your day with just the right amount of sweetness. The conflicts are simplistic which reflect well on the curious minds of children. I liked how each conflict was unique and simple with an even simpler resolution. But the procedures were not independent or randomized. There was an underlying thread that linked each episode.
The drama is engaging and parts of it are relatable too. The episode with the young protagonist saving for his mother for his birthday made me cry. That episode was enough to bring a grown man like me to tears. The vibe was so soulful and pure that it instantly tugged at my heart strings. In another episode, the craze of Bruce Lee fans was also explored very well, where the cinema slowly slid into the life of the protagonist. I was reminded of my childhood when I had seen Judwaa, starring Salman Khan, and after the movie ended, I momentarily started behaving like the character Salman was rehearsing, of course, momentarily. Good old days indeed!
On the minor downside, the script loses a bit of its innocence in a couple of episodes before the final act. I felt that if the writing had remained simplistic, it would have been a little more effective. But after the slight detour (episodes 6 and 7), the final episode had multiple feel-good moments that made for some pretty heartfelt drama. The message in the end was something that all young parents should consider and implement to make sure their children don't lose their individuality, even more so in times of social media. Overall the writing is simple but nostalgic and 3 hours of pure bliss.
The dialogues are simple but beautifully show the curious mind of a child. And it helped that all the drama was played out through the boy's eyes. The BGM has a lovely old world vibe that will instantly be a contributing factor to nostalgia. The cinematography captures the simplistic life quite effectively. Editing was a bit loose and could have been sharper. Director VK Prakash has kept things simple but is really effective. He had a smile on my face as I watched the drama from start to finish and the direction deserves a share of the praise here.
The acting is pretty good here. Sonali Kulkarni as Padma has a sense of sweetness in her role along with a very warm vibe that is ingrained in her character. And she does a great job here. Ashish Vidyarthi as Subbarao is a man of few words here, but the stoic presence of him was mixed with a sense of restraint. He's subtly brilliant here. Ashwanth Ashok Kumar as Anand, the light guy is so natural to the core. He seemed like he was just reacting to different situations in the drama. He reeked of innocence and was pretty brilliant throughout the show. All the other characters were well rehearsed.
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