Netflix & TVF's ‘Hello Bachhon’ Review: Viineet Kumar Singh’s education drama is much more than just a plug for Alakh Pandey’s ‘Physics Wallah’!

Cast: Vineet Kumar Singh, Vikram Kochhar, Girija Oak Godbole, Avtar Vaishnani, Sonu Kumar Yadav, Satendra Soni, Divesh

Director: Pratish Mehta

Language: Hindi

Does an ‘IITian’ tag really make a difference in life? Yes, to many it can give the initial push to land up with a job, but again, to sustain yourself in an office environment, you need the skills to survive. Yet again Netflix’s ‘Hello Bachhon,’ with Viineet Kumar Singh as the lead, has proved that we don’t need stars to make a show work, but all you need are good craftsmen.

‘ Hello Bachhon’—a greeting that didn’t just start classes but started a movement. Inspired by the extraordinary journey of educator Alakh Pandey, Hello Bachhon shows a voice that reached far beyond the classroom and into the homes and hearts of students across India. The series tells the story of students who refused to give up on their dreams, strengthened by the support of a teacher who believed in them when it mattered most.

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As a parent myself, who has gone through this phase, I know exactly how 11th and 12th standard in school are the most stressful years in a child’s life. And all they need at that point in time is someone who understands what they are going through. They need not just a teacher but a motivator who can just hold them and tell them, ‘Bachhon, all will be fine,’ and that IIT is not the end of life.

We have been hearing ever since our childhood days that 11th and 12th standards are the two years in a kid’s life that can make or break his/her career. But nobody teaches us how to navigate through these tough years of our life. Hardly will you see parents and teachers asking the kids about their mental health. All they are interested in is their kid’s progress report and how good their scores are. But we cannot blame them either because we live in an age of tough competition where jobs are limited.

Actually, I found ‘ Helloo Bachchon’ to be much better than Netflix’s ‘Kota Factory’ because that was only about a place and their students. This series, on the other hand, has a lot more human touch in it despite the fact that ‘Physics Wallah’ started off as an online class. It is a far more mature take of ‘Kota Factory’. Here we get to see the touching backstories of each of the students. The series shows us how in one case a young boy struggles against financial hardship, a young girl resists expectations that could cut short her education, and another quietly sets aside his passion for cricket to shoulder responsibility at home. Through their journeys, we come to understand why education is not a privilege reserved for a few, but a right that can change the direction of a life.

What began as a modest classroom initiative soon grew into a movement that reached students across cities, towns, and the smallest bylanes of India, cutting across class boundaries and different economic backgrounds.

‘Helloo Bachchon’ is an extremely motivating show cutting across boundaries. The story is convincing with an equally convincing lead, Viineet Kumar Singh. He who plays the role of Pandey very clearly says in one of the scenes, “We will produce toppers. But the method will be ours. Choosing the path of truth often means longer roads to success, and I am used to it!” Not denying the fact sometimes the show did look like a sales pitch, but aren’t all shows made on institutions and people basically brand-building exercises? Vineet’s performance sincere and honest, balancing the character’s simplicity with intense emotional weight.

This Netflix show makes us believe that a good teacher may not be highly qualified, but he/she should have the capability to make students love their subjects and, most importantly, be a good motivator. While the series focuses on a physics teacher’s mission to democratise education, Girija’s performance is noted for adding emotional depth to the narrative. She  and Pandey’s friends were true true enablers in his journey. has been a true Pandey (Viineet Kumar Singh), as shown in the series, always started his class by saying, ‘Helloo Bachchon, Kaisa ho aap?’ (Hello kids! How are you?). He always told his students, “Make yourself better every day!” So, from all of us, ‘Tattowalla Bahaiya aap ne toh saab ka dil jeet liya!’

Rating: 3 and half (out of 5)

WATCH the trailer of Netflix’s ‘Hello Bachhon’ here: