Gutar Gu
Introduction
It is still a Wednesday but the new releases have started pouring in. With that I finished watching the new Hindi show, the first season of Gutar Gu which is now streaming on Amazon Mini TV. Teenage romance is that one genre that all of us would find relatable. And the reason for the same is that we have all been through our own little journey of our first crush to our first kiss to the first brush with respect to touch and eventually a full blown relationship. So every time there is a show tackling this subject, I am interested.
The idea of such shows is not to find anything unique or drastically different with respect to its content but to take you on a nostalgic ride from your own teenage days. It was last year that I had watched the first and second season of the Hindi series Crushed. And while I absolutely did fall in love with its first season, the second season did have me distracted. And that is because there weren’t enough moments created(along with a principal character who was absent) that did bring the overall product down. And I was really hoping that in Gutar Gu, there would be plenty of moments in the screenplay that would drive the story ahead. So then does Gutar Gu manage to impress, lets find out.
Story & Screenplay
Set in Bhopal, Gutar Gu follows the story of a budding teen romance between two different personalities. The story here is pretty good although there isn’t much novelty factor here. The screenplay standing at 6 episodes of 20 odd minutes does make for a breezy watch. The situations created here are fun and genuinely relatable although the proceedings are fairly predictable.
The drama does open with the introduction of the two protagonists, one a local and the other who has recently shifted to the city. The thing about the show is that it does represented the life of a non-metro city perfectly. And because life is conservative to an extent, so is the budding romance which is showcased here. The writing here is quite impressive with the manner in which it does create situations which are sweet and cheesy. And I say cheesy not in a derogatary manner, as you need to keep in mind that this is a high school romance after all. So the intensity and maturity of a relationship is still being cultivated, thus resulting in the reaction to the situation being cheesy.
The proceedings are predictable but quite breezy. There are also moments wherein I did find myself laughing hysterically. So the humour was also prevalent in a few episodes of the drama that does unfold with just a thread connecting every episode. The proceedings can also be viewed individually with each event highlighting a fresh problem in the budding relationship. From the first crush to the first kiss and to the first date(in a small town with a fear of being caught) does make for a breezy drama. Also, there is a sense of innocence to the drama with the characters getting a hold of the surroundings for the first time that also drives the story ahead.
My small issue with the drama is that it does slightly get repetitive in transitions. And by that I mean that while the events are unique and interesting, the transition from one event to another or even its conclusion is coated with the same paint. But the events leading up to the final act are really good when the parents get involved and as every parent would do, to ask their children to focus on the studies. The little setup for the second season is also interesting thus marking a screenplay that is breezy and fun despite it being predictable.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are corny but quite enjoyable to witness. The music and BGM are quite good and both blend perfectly with the drama. The cinematography and the editing are quite decent too, no complaints there. Director Saqib Pandor does a swell job in keeping things light and frothy. I was invested in the situations that the couple found themselves in, and for that the director deserves credit to creating such moments.
Performances
The performances are pretty good here. Meenal Kapoor, Harsh Khurana, Cinderella Dcruz and Abhhay Joshi have their moments to shine. Tushar Shahi and Shubham Kumar are first rate as the friends of Anuj. Satish Ray is endearing in his performance. Ashlesha Thakur(you may know her from The Family Man) as Ritu is nicely restrained and does a pretty good job. Vishesh Bansal as Anuj is excellent and his innocence drives the story ahead at many places. There is a sweet chemistry going on between them and it does put a smile on your face.
Conclusion
The first season of Gutar Gu is a sweet little cheesy high school romance that makes for a good watch. Available on Amazon Mini TV.