One of the stronger aspects of the writing is the characterization here, although it does borderline on being a cliche. But, the one reason that it works is because despite all odds, none of the characters are presented as victims that automatically makes them strong. For instance, Ishani may have several low moments and challenges in her daily life, but she never wishes to give up on her dreams. Likewise, Lopa (Rytasha Rathore) is a privileged character who wishes to follow her own heart, even if it is against her capitalist father. Michke (Priyam Saha) literally owns her appearance and weight despite being fat-shamed by her mother, Anurima (Ruby Sah) aspires to take up dancing while branching out of the aspirations from her father, Tess (Chrisann Pereira) coping with the presence of her gambling mother, does enjoy waacking in a journey similar to Ishani. And LP (Anasua Chowdhury) dealing with a similar financial turmoil coupled with her aspirations oc being a designer, resorts to dancing as an intimate form of escapism. Clearly, each of the girls have a sense of purpose that in turn never allows the drama to get bogged down into the conventional route of emotions.

The drama essentially focuses on the character dynamics of the characters even as they have to bare with multiple challenges of holding the group together. And the initial turmoil of being misfits in the truest sense is prevalent early on, when the girls don’t really gel with each other, almost being rigid with their individual personalities. But the dance form that they attempt is synchronized, often being symbolic of their growing relationship that goes hand in hand with the perfection of the art form. So one of the gazes that the drama could at, is through the prism of friendship of the group, that only grows stronger with the passage of time. In fact, the girls have their own ‘Chak De’ moment, beating up a bunch of boys ridiculing them at their first gig, in a video that hilariously goes viral. 

The proceedings are often understated with the events having only an after-taste of comedy that is prevalent are frequent instances in the drama. But the writing offers an intimate focus on the individual lives of the characters that includes the Ishani’s grandfather and his frequent bouts of dementia, that not only complicate issues for the worse but also open a window of opportunity for his sons to take control of his flat. And so, the politics of the drama maintains a parallel thread throughout the screenplay, while the core focus remains on the dance-offs that are nicely integrated in the screenplay. Clearly, the dance portions are the best in the drama while infusing a lot of life in its proceedings. One little flaw in the writing, particularly in the second act lay in the fact that things did get a tad too repetitive, even when the conflicts were previously established already. Only crucial minutes are added to the drama as opposed to keeping things crisp and concise, or alternately, focusing on the core rise of the group that eventually does transpire at the start of the final act. 

The final act has a lot going for the drama right from the after-effects of the challenges faced by the group, to the window of opportunity that is created through the limited resources at the group’s disposal. There is an organic transfer of tone that is almost mellow for most parts of the screenplay, to something that is more glitzy and glamorous. And this transfer is also represented through the change in the city from Kolkata to Mumbai, that has a lot to offer in terms of opportunities and shocks. For instance, the entire ‘Bollywood’ subplot was apt to the core, and that plot could have easily been its core for the final act if the writing had got to it sooner. And as a setup for the second season, I did like a shift in the dynamics of the group, owing to a conflict that couples as a callback, thereby ending the current season on a high. The screenplay is well written and does manage to impress.