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Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi review: A heartfelt homecoming
What : SonyLIV’s Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi is a homecoming that has its heart and humor at the right place
OTT web series Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi review
Hinterland stories are gaining immense popularity and likeability in OTT over the recent years. They evoke a sense of nostalgia and belongingness with the milieu they are set in.
Nirmal Pathak ki Wapsi, directed by Rahul Pandey and Satish Nair, is one such story told with a lot of heart and genuine warmth.
Starring Vaibhav Tatawadi as the eponymous lead, it chronicles his experiences in his native - a small town in Bihar which he visits after a gap of 24 years, for a wedding in his family. The estranged ties are rekindled, new friendships are formed and some ugly episodes of the past are racked up.
Pandey and Nair conjure up a lived-in and intimate milieu in this heartwarming tale, infusing some reality checks and light-hearted humor.As Nirmal starts finding a great emotional connect with his relatives and the place, the budding writer in him pens down the personal thoughts around the lifestyle, the rural Bihari cuisine and also the deep-rooted patriarchy and misogyny.
Though the later episodes suffer pacing issues, the makers embed a lot of nuances in their storytelling that keeps the viewer invested. The paani puri gets the tag of "Ladies Item". In one of the funny sequences, the town lads exhibit their super fandom for 'Bhai' Salman Khan.
There is a fine balance observed between drama and humor amidst some charming performances. Vaibhav etches out the titular character nicely, giving him seriousness and depth.
There is an inherent innocence and dollops of charm that goes in favour of Nirmal Pathak. I was particularly impressed by Akash Makhija,playing the playful part of Aatish - Nirmal's cousin who considers the his brother as a demi god!
Vineet Kumar and Pankaj Jhaa render their negative shades competently.The ladies brigade spearheaded by Alka Amin deliver their parts earnestly.
Overall, it's a winsome endeavor by the producers Naren Kumar and Mahesh Korade in bringing out such a mature social drama that eschews didactism but makes the right points in right degrees.
I go with 3.5 stars out of 5 for Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi. The 5 Episode series is streaming on Sony LIV.
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