'13th' web-series review: Gagan Dev Riar and Paresh Pahuja share heart-warming chemistry in a middling show

Cast: Gagan Dev Riar, Paresh Pahuja, Girija Oak Godbole, Pradnya Motghare, Abhishek Ranjan

Director: Nishil Sheth

Language: Hindi

Start-ups are here to stay, and even lay. Just recently we saw that in Tamannaah Bhatia and Diana Penty’s show Do You Wanna Partner? And there’s a new show on SonyLIV called 13th. It has nothing to do with Friday the 13th. It’s anything but a horror show but does tackle the horrors of unfulfilled dreams and shattered hopes. The tagline or takeaway of this new web-series has been described as Not all lessons are learnt in classrooms; this one goes beyond. This messaging has surfaced in films like 3 idiots, Tamasha, and even Chhichhore before with immensely fruitful and financial results.

The two central characters of the show are Gagan Dev Riar and Paresh Pahuja. At its heart, 13th speaks about the monotony of the corporate life and how money cannot buy happiness for Pahuja anymore. He has the skies but the wings are missing. He wants to have those wings but is bogged down by incessant rejections and prejudices. He aims for the Titanic but is constantly hit by multiple icebergs. Riar plays his former teacher, his shining armour and guiding force.

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The show follows the journey of Ritesh (Paresh Pahuja), a rising venture capitalist who gives up everything to repay a debt not written in numbers, but in belief. Years ago, it was MT Sir (played by Riar), his mentor, who shaped his path. Now, as life comes full circle, Ritesh steps away from the boardroom to stand by his teacher and help him build a bold new ed-tech dream.

Riar, the breakout star of Scam 2003, ran riot in that show about greed and ambition. Here, his demeanour softens and he lets his shrunk body language do the talking. Pahuja’s a performance that could have gone anywhere, given the sameness of the narrative, but he too manages to hold his own. But the intent of 13th are overshadowed by the familiarity with the messaging. The show says- Some Lessons Aren’t Taught In Classrooms. We know that. Been there done that in fact.

The hero of the series has an idea but no means. This is a classic underdog story that has been almost milked to death. But because many people like Ritesh continue to battle their inner conflicts and chaos, and rise above their cubicles, it seems stories about taking that giant leap aren’t ending anytime soon. 13th has its heart in the right place, and our hero lands at the right place too. Only if the messaging felt little more coherent. Maybe next time!

Rating: 2.5 (out of 5 stars)

13th is now streaming on SonyLIV