Pitchers
Synopsis: – Four young men quit their jobs and decide to form their own company. Can they succeed in their entrepreneurial quest?
Rating: 4/5
TVF first shot to fame with their hilarious Qtiyapa series, a comic take on mundane everyday happenings. They ventured into the original drama genre Permanent Roommates with the web series a year back. The show received rave reviews and was applauded for its refreshing script and direction.
In June 2015, their sophomore web series “Pitchers” hit our laptop screens. Touted as the magnum opus of TVF, the show’s viewers, both fans and critics alike (including me), had huge expectations from the show. And it didn’t disappoint us for sure. The series is everything the makers promised it to be. Sensible, humorous, quirky, it delivers them all. And it delivers big.
The story engagingly crafts out the trials and tribulations of start-up life in India. The characters are incredibly well-thought-out, and the humor is crisp and level-headed.
The story starts with Naveen meeting Bhati, his one-time college senior, in a bar.
Bhati tells him about his start-up and how it developed into a million-dollar company. Inspired by Bhati’s success and his compelling philosophy of “Tu Beer Hain,” Naveen quits his job and decides to trod the grueling path of entrepreneurship.
BREAKDOWN TIME:-
1. Direction And Sets –
The direction is in stark contrast to the overly dramatic Indian soaps. Breathing new life into Indian serials, the sets are incredibly believable and relatable, mirroring an average Indian techie’s life. Top-notch production quality and lovely cinematography ensure that you never get tired of the locales. Indeed, the brilliant direction of pitchers is the soul of the series.
2. Screenplay–
The script and I do not exaggerate, is mesmerizing. Dialogues are gut-wrenchingly funny, and the story never loses pace, keeping you glued to your seats. Witty one-liners are galore, and lines like
“Quote Ke Aage Personality Ka Naam Laga Do , Impact Double Ho Jata Hai”
“Saale Ne Btech NIT Hamirpur Se Kiya Hai Aur Sweatshirt Pehen Ke Ghoomta Hai Harvard Ka”
“Iss Desh Ke Graduates Jab Apne 9 to 5 Job Se Bore Hone Lagte Hain Toh Bahar Nikalne Ke Bas 3 Raaste Hote Hain
1.IAS 2. MBA 3. Aur Start-Up”
Cracks you up.
3. Performance –
The team has done a brilliant job casting actors who make the already relatable characters even more believable. Arunabh Kumar as the brow beater Yogi, Jitendra Kumar as the amazeballs coder Jeetu, Naveen Kasturia as the headman, Naveen Bansal, and Abhay Mahajan as the timid yet extremely likable Mandal breeze their way through. With performances so convincing, you’ll start rooting for them.
4. Score –
Music contributes significantly to the show’s pace. The music is young, energetic, and pleasingly original, free from the typical background scores that plague mainstream television. The show even has an Original Sound Track.
THE VERDICT:-
Pitchers have struck the right chord by choosing “entrepreneurship” as its central theme. When hundreds of young Indians are giving up their cushy jobs to follow their hearts, Pitchers give them another reason not to blindly go after the herd.
The show itself is well-intentioned and shines a light on the exciting domain of start-ups. It is worthy of being watched and re-watched. I’m going with a 4/5. Watch it. You won’t be disappointed.
