What Is the Story About?
Sanjay Kataria, a struggling lawyer in Ghaziabad, scrapes through his daily life with his wife and two children with great difficulty. He faces resistance from his father in letting out a room in his ancestral property for rent, and continues to bicker with his brother over monetary issues. When Sanjay’s rebellious daughter Naina suddenly goes missing on her birthday, his life comes to a standstill.
Performances?
Rajesh Tailang is a perfect casting choice to play the average Indian middle-class father who tries to keep the family together, come what may. He mirrors the role’s simplicity and lends warmth to the portrayal of a man hardened by situations. Sheeba Chaddha, expectedly, is fabulous, in the shoes of a wife whose life rolls along selflessly.
Analysis
Bakaiti, loosely translating to pointless chatter, is an ideal title to represent a show mirroring the travails of a Ghaziabad-based family that leads a hand-to-mouth existence, sticking together as a unit through the vagaries of livelihood. More than a story or a conflict, it is a plea to appreciate the ordinariness of middle-class life, the joy one finds between daily struggles, arguments and compromises.
The series, glossing over the little details in the Kataria household, swiftly moves on from one issue to the other, dealing with it in the heat of the moment and finding a temporary solution. There’s nothing earth-shattering about the people who inhabit its world or its situations; of parents who do their best for the kids, of relatives who keep finding reasons to complain, the problems just don’t end.
In terms of its vibe, Bakaiti could be best described as a companion piece to the likes of Gullak and Yeh Meri Family. It belongs to the same school as ETV Win’s Telugu show 90s, much like comfort food. There’s obviousness written all over it, but its everyday chaos works like a balm and creates a sense of oneness with the viewer. It provides you with warmth on a chilly night without a blanket.
There’s a mobile-obsessed grandfather who communicates only when he finds a good reason to stay away from his videos. The son, a cricket aficionado, hides his report card from his parents. On the cusp of adulthood, the daughter has big dreams and is attracted to a new tenant. The mother has gradually buried her desire to run a boutique, and the father is an average lawyer who just makes ends meet.
Through the show, money remains a key link to their problems. The Katarias just don’t have enough. As Sanjay’s father dies, property issues come to the fore. A brother wants to sell the ancestral house to fund his son’s education, and the other needs a roof to live under. The children, to avoid a tenant in their house, try to help their father. The mother does odd-tailoring jobs to help buy groceries.
The main problem that shows like Bakaiti tends to have is the desperation to sustain its feel-good quality, the resistance to deal with high-stakes drama and the cliche of middle-class-ness being a blessing in disguise to keep a family together. For instance, moments after a patriarch’s death, the members celebrate Raksha bandhan, conveniently ignoring the mourning period lasting for months/a year.
The subplot related to the tenant feels undercooked and the tension in the climax barely holds. More than being a portrait of a modern-day family, Bakaiti comes from a place of nostalgia, like a glimpse of an earlier era, say the 90s. It over-simplifies situations to sustain its smooth flow, and doesn’t incorporate the changing dynamics within families, though the writing is generally focused. But, it could’ve made space for a critical inward look, without losing its essence too.
Bakaiti is a show with short, crisp episodes meant to make you feel nice, wrapping mundanity within a middle-class family attractively. It is meant for comfort viewing with family and works within its limitations.
Music and Other Departments?
Abhijeet Hegdepatil and Vaibhav Panch’s background score provides a comfortable rhythm to the family’s daily realities, bringing in the necessary musicality to appreciate the chaos and joys of mundanity. The screenplay (and dialogues) is neat and sharp, given how it deals with stereotypical situations and still keeps the viewer glued. Raju Ramprasad Gauli lends a visual flair to the proceedings with the cinematography and the editing is coherent, driving the story forward in brief 20-minute episodes.
Other Artists?
The young actors – Tanya Sharma, Aaditya Shukla – share terrific camaraderie and bring freshness to the performances with wit and spontaneity. The supporting cast – comprising Ramesh Rai, Parvinder Jit Singh, Poonam Jangra and child artiste Shashwat Chaturvedi – fit the bill effortlessly and make an impact within their limited screen time.
Highlights?
Relatable, crisp
Impressive performances
Witty writing
Drawbacks?
Doesn’t break any new ground
Feels nostalgic than realistic
Simplistic resolution of issues
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
If a feel-good show meant for family viewing is your pick, go for it
Bakaiti Web Series Review by Binged Bureau