What Is the Story About?
On the cusp of adulthood, four boys – Randhir, Manoj, Albert and Neeraj – navigate a back-breaking, challenging stint at the Armed Forces Academy, dealing with love, loss, friendship, confronting harsh realities back home while realising what it means to serve the nation. As the country gears up for the Kargil war in 1999, the boys forge a tight-knit bond that’ll help them rise above all obstacles.
Performances?
It’s good to see the once-popular child artist Tanay Chheda transition into a mature performer with Cadets – he couldn’t have chosen a better role than Manoj Mitra for a comeback. Chayan Chopra, after a sparkling act in Class, continues to put up a good show, playing Randhir Dhanua – a character packed with many conflicts and ambiguities.
Tushar Shahi, in the shoes of Albert Mark, is a breath of fresh air with his uncanny screen presence. Gautam Singh brings a captivating rootedness, and small-town spirit to his portrayal of Neeraj. The supporting cast – comprising Rajesh Balachandran, Jaipreet Singh, Ria Nalavde, Ankit Arora and Subham Roy Chaudhary – complement the leads with their neat performances.
Analysis
An adaptation of Tanushree Podder’s popular novel ‘Boots Belts Berets’, Cadets infuses new life into a coming-of-age tale, while charting the course of four boys at the Armed Forces Academy. The show is a beautiful tale of teenagers coming to terms with the vagaries of adulthood on a campus where there’s no room for complacency. They push themselves hard, lose their way and find their feet again.
Cadets captures the last few years of boyhood in the lives of its protagonists who are denied many pleasures an average teenager would’ve had access to. The world is too harsh for them, but friendship is the cushion that binds them together and makes life more ‘liveable’. As they inch closer to their dream, the academy equips them for the big battle ahead – mentally and physically.
Randhir is the ‘nepo-kid’ among the lot, a hot favourite who’s expected to excel, born in a family full of army heroes while shouldering the burden of their big dreams. Manoj needs to face the wrath of his mother for his career choices and overcome his limitations. While Albert struggles to accept new developments in his family, Neeraj views his academy stint as a doorway to progress in life.
It would’ve been a certain challenge for filmmaker Vishwajoy Mukherjee to decode the tone of the show – given how the story seamlessly switches from buddy comedy to adventure to patriotism and family drama. The slice-of-life treatment is its primary asset, absorbing the mundanity in the lives of its protagonists and heightening/lowering the pitch of the story whenever necessary.
The show, most importantly, mirrors the ambiguities of the boys and embraces them with their mistakes and imperfections besides reflecting their never-say-die spirit as cadets in the making. The academy keeps throwing them into uneasy, tricky situations that test their friendships, showcasing the volatility of their emotions. As viewers, you root for them through their phases of uncertainty.
The eight episodes (30 minutes each) are all about the life lessons they learn at the academy – and the screenwriting does a fabulous job of not making it a preachy, monotonous exercise. The evolution of the characters is so smooth and there are no convenient, overnight transitions. They need to learn life the hard way. At times, you wish the (cutthroat) world treated them more kindly.
Very rarely does a story set in an army backdrop present the opportunity to explore the vulnerabilities of its protagonists and Cadets milks the potential of its material efficiently. However, the show could’ve done with an interrogative dimension too – debating the necessity of the harsh regimen in the guise of discipline at the academy. Could there be an alternative approach too?
Though the tributes to the 80s, 90s era are turning out to be an overdose in cinema/web shows, Cadets uses nostalgia economically and effectively, without sugarcoating the ambience too much. The timely references to Shah Rukh Khan in Fauji, the popularity of Madhuri Dixit, the magazine reading culture and iconic songs from the era provide a fair idea of what it means to be a 90s kid.
On the whole, Cadets is a potpourri of emotions that every army aspirant would identify with and it’s a welcoming sign that a heartfelt, sensitive story could come alive on the digital medium. While it takes time to grow on you, the refreshing treatment minus any jingoism/overblown patriotic sentiments wins you over. The show is a fulfilling blend of innocence, camaraderie, humour and inspiration.
Music and Other Departments?
Composer Akaash Mukherjee is a significant reason why the emotions in the show are kept in check and his score becomes an invisible layer that drives the story forward. Saurabh Mahajan and Raju Biswas deliver a visually classy product as cinematographers, making the most of the show’s rich, vibrant setting, well-aided by the production designer Somenath Pakre and costume designer Amit Divekar.
Rishiraj Bhattacharyya, the editor, does everything in his capacity to preserve the soul and the momentum of the show. Kshitij Roy’s dialogues provide a crisp, necessary outlet for the characters to express themselves. As a director with decent experience in the web space, Vishwajoy Mukherjee succeeds in capturing the spirit of the novel without tarnishing it in the name of cinematic liberty.
Highlights?
Refreshing approach to an army-centric tale
The unconventional blend of two genres – coming-of-age story with patriotism
Superb performances, measured treatment
Drawbacks?
Not that engaging initially
Could’ve done with a sharper screenplay
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Cadets Series Review by Binged Bureau
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