Tribhuvan Mishra: CA Topper (Season 1)
Introduction
The idea of a simpleton running into trouble and taking up the role of a gigolo to support his family while taking a bold decision of showcasing its byproduct of s*x from a female gaze was something that had me sold! And to top it with dollops of black comedy with a hash of crime, and serve it in a pulpy but at times slightly bloated drama, still managed to interest me. In the first season of Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper which is now streaming on Netflix, you are acquainted with all the major characters in an incredible opening scene that immediately follows the prelude of murder that transpires at the hands of the protagonist. In contrast, you see a very righteous and sincere version of the protagonist who gets awkward even when a sleazy number unfolds on the screen, even while having no hesitation to step out and buy the ‘cheapest’ flavoured popcorn for his children. Elsswhere in the same hall, you are acquainted with a local don who provides illegal ‘services’ to his clients as a side hustle even while being the owner of a sweet shop in the eyes of the society. But as fate would have it, these two worlds collide in this roller coaster of a show that has the much required fizz that was missing in Mirzapur 3(and I did bring this in the discussion given that this show is helmed by the writers of Mirzapur Season 1). But on the whole does Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
The first season of Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper follows the story of a simpleton who gets embroiled in a crime while indulging as a gigolo as a side hustle to help make ends meet for his family. The story here is pulpy and garnished with dollops of dark humour that definitely adds to the fizz of the show. In fact, at times the events get so wacky that you tend to question the motives of the writers but there is always a hidden motivation that has been incorporated in the traits of characters in a universe that doesn’t have too many rules. I also liked the fact that there is a clear demarcation of morality that is sprinkled with the right kind of emotions that do not make you question the moralities of the protagonist while always allowing him a free pass to be a victim of circumstances. And this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing given that you needed to sympathize and lean towards the protagonist who is righteous but finds himself embroiled in a world of crime over a screenplay that is standing at 9 episodes ranging from 40 odd minutes to an hour.
The drama has a dual nature from the word go. On one hand, the honest protagonist is this loving husband who doesn’t have enough money to make ends meet for his family, even though he does understand the ‘needs’ of a woman according to his wife. On the other hand, you are introduced to a local don disguising as a sweet shop owner with his entourage featuring four henchmen(two of whom are fans of Shahrukh Khan and Salman Khan respectively), has an abundance of money but doesn’t quite indulge in the lovey-dovey act with his wife who is a Bollywood buff and has a fetish for a man dancing in front of her to the tunes of some famous chartbusters. This, while the local don spends most of his time kidnapping and at times murdering people too. To add to the mesh, the conflict in the tale arises after the protagonist is forced to shed his ‘honesty’ tag and indulge in a little side hustle that eventually turns things on its head for him.
The strongest aspect of the story is the characterization of the characters, who seemingly are true to their traits. Very seldom would you find a character transforming into a gun toting human being, a trait almost emerging from her fetish against the background music of ‘She is a cool cool cat’. The sympathy of the viewers are always directed towards the protagonist, even as he receives his induction training from a current ’employee’ of a website before going full throttle in catering to the ‘needs’ of women across the city. In doing so, he often forms a bond with these characters that threatens to blur the lines of his own morality in his own eyes, almost starting off to make ends meet before indulging in his new ‘dominating’ avatar. This until he is invariably at the center of a crime committed that forces his world to collide with that of a local don.
The dark humour is expertly integrated in this drama from start to finish, to the point that every time the drama lags a little in the writing, the fizz emerging from the humour uplifts the drama again. This is true during the ongoing investigation by two food-loving corrupt cops that contribute well to the humour in the drama despite having lesser character arcs to boast of. However, I did also feel that the drama was slightly beginning to get a little bloated by a dragging screening that also did introduce an LGBTQIA angle almost as an after-thought, even though the character motivations were already in place. The writing did go marginally in circles, saved by the presence of humour in most parts that overpowers the writing at certain places. The events leading to the final act are interesting while the writers also do well in bringing after characters under one roof before inducing a shootout. But this is where the tone of the drama definitely gets out of hand, almost shedding its looney and goofy traits and tending towards heroism. As a result, the final act for me wasn’t as satisfactory or even remotely as exciting, as the start of the show. But overall, I will still give it to the writers for creating a pulpy world while hoping that this same trait continues in its second season too(should it see the light of the day).
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are crisp and sharp while incorporating several one-liners that are filled with explitives yet funny and true to the universe that has been created. The lines just add the right kind of fizz to the overall drama. The music by Ram Sampath is top notch and it makes for an incredible soundtrack that resonates so well with the vibe of the drama. The BGM is top notch as well, elevating the drama at several junctures of the screenplay. The cinematography is exceptional beautifully changing the POVs between characters. For instance, you see the character of Bindi(wife of the local don) and Ashoklata(wife of the protagonist) in a single frame. One of them is buying a saree while overhearing the other lady receiving compliments for the affection showcased by her husband, whereas the other longs for that saree while hearing the compliments. These were two different emotions beautifully captured by frames of oppositive POV. Elsewhere, the trippy and pulpy nature of the frames is complimented by neon lights that add a different dimension to the drama. The editing is good but it could have accounted for a few lags in the drama that needed to be ironed out. Directors Puneet Krishna and Amrit Raj Gupta have done an incredible job in creating this wacky world with heavy bouts of dark humour and top notch characterization. I liked how there seemed to be a logical angle to all character motivations, and it actually contributed to the drama being believable. I also liked how their emphasis lay on the female gaze and that was a big plus in their report card. There was control even in the madness that the drama had to offer and for that the direction deserves credit despite briefly faltering in the concluding moments of the drama.
Performances
The performances are imcredibly good by the ensemble cast. Vrinda Malhotra is confident and has her moments to shine despite a limited screen time. Ana Ilmi as Mrs Verma is top notch and seems very easy on the eye, and it was great to see her understand the universe which was created and perform so well, accordingly. Kumar Saurabh as the hotel receptionist is hilarious and he reminded me of the owner of Hotel Decent in Jab We Met. Khem Verma as Jhatka and Ankur Pathak as Pinky had me cracking up every time they appeared on screen, and almost everytime after they had to bear the brunt of expletives thrown at them. Yamini Dass as Mando Bua is such a natural onscreen, almost nailing her one-liners every single time. Husne Shabnam as Reeta is wonderful to witness, although her character felt slightly underwritten with the kind of promise that was prevalent early on. But no fault of hers, she had a stellar screen presence. Shrikant Yadav as Varshney is a delight to watch as the cocky boss of the protagonist, and an epitome of how bosses are in real life too. Sunil Saraswat as Mathew is nicely understated in a good job done.
Amarjeet Singh as Lappu contributes to the humour wonderfully well, whether it is scoring with his body language or even occasionally indulging in a physical form of comedy. Divyani Gandhi as Lalita is so well measured with her character who is assertive and provides a foil of support to the protagonist in an unconditional manner(and she may have a big role to play in its second season). Jitin Gulati is an absolute treat to watch being an epitome of masculinity on the exterior but being his frightful self on the interior. And this dichotomy with respect to his character trait is what results in humour, and Jitin just hit it out of the park yet again.
Sumit Gulati as Shambhu is almost a similar character as Jitin in terms of hus character trait, showcasing his bravado early on, only to transform into a timid character that represents a superficial picture of masculinity. And he was brilliant here. Shweta Basu Prasad as Shobha is absolutely badass and she has such an unassuming personality, only to unleash her wild side later on. She was terrific to witness and did a splendid job! Ashok Pathak(apna Binod) as Dhaincha is brilliant to the core in a character that is aggressive and not shying to thrown in expletives but also having a strong emotional core.
Naina Sareen as Ashoklata is nicely subdued with her character that also has a mind of her own while being oblivious to the actions of her husband. There is a genuine amount of warmth in her character that she brilliantly showcases in a rather splendid job done. Faisal Malik as Haider Ali is such an incredible actor with a terrific sense of comic timing, and he puts it to use just so well here. This includes him giving a lethargic impression to the viewers with his antics while being focused on food before springing a surprise with his banter and his sharp observations. He was brilliant to the core here.
Shubhrajyoti Barat is another excellent actor(also with me having the privilege of watching him perform live in a play), and as Tikka Ram Jain, he has a stoic presence that invariably contributes to the humour of the show. His dual personality of dancing away in dream sequences was absolutely hilarious even as his main personality remains daunting and intimidating with subtle bouts of restrained humour. Tillotama Shome as Bindi is such a breath of fresh air here. Her character was mounted on the want of love and care while having a fetish of her partner dancing to some Bollywood songs, yet being well accustomed to her reality. And she gently brings out a subtle streak of emotions that first converts to love before completely transforming to revenge, in what was a stunning performance.
Manav Kaul as Tribhuvan Mishra does come across like a simpleton just like Surinder Sahni from Rab Ne Banadi Jodi before unleashing his ‘Raj here not to fear’ avatar. While there is restraint in his former personality, there is a wild streak to the latter that adds a new dimension to his character who frequently begins to indulge in it. And this trait needed a solid performance by a measured actor who could pull this off with ease. And Manav is brilliant to the core, almost never missing a single beat in his character while transforming into his bold yet shady character who is far from his original personality.
Conclusion
The first season of Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper is a pulpy drama with dollops of dark humour and incredible performances that make for a pretty solid watch. The difference here also lies in the fizz that triumphs over the length of the show, something that never flattens the drama completely while elevating it at regular junctures, thereby ensuring it to be a wonderful watch. Available on Netflix.
