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Dehati Ladke review: A Charming and delightful hinterland story that springs nostalgia and hits the right nerve
What: Based on the Hindi Best-selling novel by Shashank Bharatiya, Dehati Ladke, this web series directed by Prashant Singh is about Rajat who moves from his village to Lucknow to pursue higher education and nurture his IAS dream and experiences friendship, first love and the real hardships of life.
Dehati Ladke synopsis
When the Gonda boy Rajat Raj Singh Chauhan (Shine Pandey) sets out to Lucknow to carve his career, his mother asks him to adhere to three promises – stay away from hooliganism, stay away from any form intoxication and stay away from girls! But on his first day at ATU (Avadh Technical University) , he ends up breaking up two of the promises, and on the next day, thre third one, when he is smitten by the most charming and desirable girl in the college, Prerna (played by Saamya Jainn).
Based on the Hindi Best-selling novel by Shashank Bharatiya, Dehati Ladke, this web series directed by Prashant Singh is about Rajat who moves from his village to Lucknow to pursue higher education and nurture his IAS dream and experiences friendship, first love and the real hardships of life. The show demonstrates his identity which is rooted in his culture and defines his innocence, his aspirations and drives his morality and action. He carries the weight of the expectations of his village to ace the civil services exams which clashes with the newfound attractions of city and the vibrant college life.
Show-creator Saurabh Tewari and director Prashant carve an interesting journey of Rajat juxtaposed against an intimate and dazzling backdrop of the city of Nawabs – Lucknow. Rooted in its culture, the city almost becomes a character with the other fascinating ones – Prashant Bhaiya (played by Aasif Khan), his to-die-for friends (played by Raghav Sharma and Tanish Neeraj) and Chhaya ji (Kusha Kapila), the modern and liberal woman who brings out the undiscovered side of Rajat.
Chhaya stimulates Rajat’s thoughts. In one scene she says, “The language of love has the grammar of touch. Pyaar kitna bhi ruhaani ho, uska expression jismaani hota hai”. The writers infuse relatable nuggets into the script and make it feel relatable and nostalgic. The first year at college is always special and holds a special place in our heart – new bonds, first love jitters, fun-filled night-outs and exploring a new city – Dehati Ladke addresses all of these with a sweet and caring rhythm. The production design is impressive and the cinematography resonates with the verve of the city.
Dehati Ladke final words
It has its share of heart-touching moments and heartbreaks with priceless lessons. Shine Pandey triumphs as Rajat and takes an earnest stamp at his character. Surrounded with a stellar cast comprising Aashif, Kusha, Raghav and Tanish, the protagonist’s trajectory in this coming of age and slice of life drama emerges as a roller coaster with strokes of comedy and romance.
I go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Dehati Ladke. The 10-episode series is streaming on Amazon miniTV from 15th Dec 2023.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee