Pushpavalli - An interesting Indian web series high on ironic comedy & entertaining situations!

Akash

Not often do we get Indian web series content that is driven by genuine humour and subtle ironic situations, clubbed with outright no-nonsense entertainment. One such product from Amazon Prime is Pushpavalli (seasons 1 & 2). With around 8 episodes in each season, this story set in Bangalore directed by Debbie Rao, is for the comedy lovers! Here is why you must consider watching this excellent series.

Pushpavalli (Sumukhi Suresh) is all about a chubby girl who moves from Bhopal to Bangalore for the man she likes and the situations she faces in turn, the characters in her life and how she handles them. Pushpavalli’s mom is an orthodox lady who wants her to get married to a Brahmin man as soon as possible. However, she has other plans as she decides to move to Bangalore where her classmate Pankaj (Naveen Richard) offers her a job in a children’s library. Little does Pankaj know that Pushpavalli has got to this new busy city to woo Nikhil (Manish Anand). What happens next forms the rest of the story!

Though this might seem like a fairly simple one-line, the screenplay does have a semi-non-linear pattern as it tracks back to Pushpavalli’s meeting with Nikhil in Bhopal and cuts back to the present (Bangalore). The dialogues are edgy, characters very well written, situations are extremely natural and the story in itself creates a large amount of interest in the audience's mind.

As for the casting of this Prime series, Sumukhi Suresh does justice to the role of ‘Pushpavalli’ as she emotes pretty well. For a chubby girl who tricks her boss, lies to her love, bribes a tea boy to stalk up information, Sumukhi does convince us as the title characters. Nikhil Rao as the handsome man whom Pushpavalli falls for is aptly cast too and keeps it subtle. However, it is Naveen Richard as Pankaj who steals the show as the owner of the children’s library. Naveen is an animated young character who cusses a lot but is pure at heart. His humour works wonders for the series and can be termed as one of the favourite characters. Other roles that leave impressions are Pushpavalli’s mom, the T-boy (Ashok Pathak), Nikhil Rao’s mom, Swati (Preetika Chawla), to name a few. High marks to the casting equation.

Though the series does not have a bombastic choice of locations, the 3-4 major places where the events happen leave a lasting impact on us by the end of season 1 and most audiences would definitely watch season 2, mainly for the naturality and the subtle comedy. Be it the scenes inside the PG, the most enjoyable children’s library sequences or the entertainment at Nikhil’s house and at the Guruji’s gathering, Pushpavalli has it all packed within its sweet little story!

Technically too, the series is extremely well fed. Cinematography is natural and the colours are so pleasant. Editing is a breeze and so is the extremely addictive title track that flows in during the credits. Lovely background score and simple yet effective art work ensures a good show for all audiences. Kudos to the makers for bringing out the best with limited resources.

Amidst all the action and thriller series, we have a breezy tale that has a very cute premise. Pushpavalli also touches upon the taboos in our Indian society, superstitions followed by mother’s, the ironic situations at small PG’s, the struggles of a chubby girl and a brush on the modern day relationships. With almost most boxes ticked right, this is one of the easiest watches that entertains throughout. Stream Pushpavalli on Amazon Prime and be assured a good deal of laughter!

Verdict: Fun, frolic and highly engaging! Pushpavalli is a must watch for its light hearted treatment!

Rating: 3.5/5