Aspirants review: inspirational tale of three friends' journey to fulfill their dream of clearing UPSC

By Rajesh Ahuja

 As India approaches 75th year of its independence, two things have continued to remain symbol of aspirations among the youth in the country- one is getting a seat in one of IITs in the country while the second is securing an entry in the elite  Indian administrative services (IAS).

Becoming an IAS officer has been one of the most cherished dreams of the youth since the inception of Independent India..While the 50s and 60s saw a large number of idealistic youth aspire for a place in the administrative service in pursuit of their dream to transform India and to make lives of the people better, the 70s, 80s , 90s and the new millennium saw several young boys and girls aspiring to clear the Civil services examination for a variety of reasons- while for some, getting into the IAS was a means to bring about a significant change in the country, for others, it was the desire to become a part of one of the elite services in the country, which continues to command a lot of respect among the educated sections of society.

Not surprisingly, the desire to become an IAS officer has become an obsession for lakhs of aspirational youth in the country with hordes of young boys and girls spending several years of their life in pursuing their dream. However, as many of these aspirants realise much later, their path to realise their dream of getting into the Indian administrative service is a road  filled with several imponderables that grips them with fears and uncertainties at every step of their journey towards their goals.

The new web series Aspirants takes viewers through this journey of three youngsters aspiring to become a part of the Indian administrative service.

Abhilash(Naveen Kasturia) Shwetketu(SK)(Abhilash Thapliyal)  and Guri(Shivankit Singh Parihar) are three young boys who find themselves developing a bond of friendship due to their common goal of becoming IAS officers.

Aspirants is an inspirational tale of three friends' journey to fulfill their dream of clearing UPSC 

The story revolves around the past and the present time . While  the past captures the struggle and the drama behind the making of UPSC CSE aspirants in Old Rajinder Nagar of Delhi,  the present talks about the aftermath.

Abhilash,  Shwetketu and Guri have left their homes to camp at Oold Rajendra Nagar in Delhi, described as a Mecca for all IAS aspirants, in pursuit of their goal.

The three friends are part of the Unacademy coaching classes, where several college professors, some of whom have been part of this journey in their youth, guide them in their journey to achieve the dream of getting into the IAS.

Old Rajendra Nagar and the Unacademy coaching classes become the meeting point of the three friends where they share their doubts, fears and frustrations gripping them as they travel on the precarious journey to be a part of the top government service in the country.

Aspirants charts the journey of these  three UPSC aspirants  and their steadfast friendship amid all odds!

During his stay in Old Rajendra Nagar, Abhilash meets Sandeep,(Sunny Hinduja)  who has been appearing for the IAS examination for last three years in pursuit of his dream.He also has an attraction for Dhairya(Namita Dubey) who is appearing for the IAS examination in her second attempt.

Aspirants brings viewers face to face with the motivations, fears, pain, doubts and frustrations experienced by these youngsters as they prepare for their IAS entrance exam..

The series gives viewers a peek into the qualities and the mindset that go towards making an IAS officer. Aspirants has tremendous inspirational quality as it  highlights the need for perseverance and the never say die spirit as a prerequisite for those seeking to clear the UPSC examination..

The show also boasts of brilliant performances from the cast. Naveen Kasturia,  Abhilash Thapliyal and Shivankit Singh Parihar have given outstanding performance as Abhilash, Shwetketu and Guri. They bring out the motivations, pain, fears, doubts , vulnerabilities and frustrations of the youth pursuit their dream of becoming IAS officers.

Sunny Hinduja and  Namita Dubey are impressive as Sandeep and Dhairya.

In short, Aspirants bowls you over with its inspirational tale of three friends' journey to fulfill their cherished dream of clearing the UPSC. The series also boasts of brilliant performances by the cast.

My rating 4/5. - one for the story, one for screenplay, one for direction and one for performances.