What Is the Story About?
Niraj, Archie and Parth have cleared their CA Group 1 exams. Both Parth and Archie land articleships in different companies, juggling their time for exam preparation. Niraj bumps into his ex, Kavya, again, and the two give their relationship another chance. Tejas continues to support Archie through her highs and lows, while Vishal makes progress with his acting career.
Performances?
The performances generally fit the bill. Given the graph of the characters is limited in terms of complexity, there’s only so much that an actor can do to go beyond the established tropes. Ahsaas Channa is the pick of the lot among the cast; she’s barely tested but tries to bring some earnestness into her performance.
Analysis
Half CA is precisely Kota Factory for CA aspirants – a group of students from different parts of the country across age groups come together to pursue their dream, nearly give up, get distracted, but give it a good shot. Some make it, some don’t, there are heartbreaks, disappointments and time runs out. Through the journey, some victories are literal, others moral, but they gear them for life.
The second season, directed by Pratish Mehta, starts with the protagonists acing their group 1 CA exams. Each of them has their priorities sorted out, at least they believe so. Archie takes a little longer than Parth to land a company for articleship. Tejas is clear about what he doesn’t want from life, and Vishal grooms his acting skills on the stage. Niraj’s focus alternates between his exam preparation and his relationship with Kavya.
The show precisely runs on autopilot mode – the writing and the jargon is very specific to CA aspirants, the screenplay is largely formulaic, modelled on similar shows that capture a student’s relentless efforts in clearing difficult entrances (medical, engineering and others), with a potpourri of romance and situational humour. It’s passive entertainment; you know where all of this is headed.
Though the narrative is pacy all along, shifting across the major and minor events in the protagonists’ lives, Half CA’s appeal is limited because it is assembled like a product. There’s a structure in place, and the execution, performances feel like a formality. It isn’t designed to make you think or even feel much. Its primary strength is its relatability; the characters remain vulnerable.
The moments that work quite well are those where Archie and Niraj get a reality check and don’t take their partners for granted. Archie is so engrossed in her routine that she occasionally shames Tejas for his lack of ambition. Similarly, Niraj has all say in their relationship and doesn’t give Kavya time to tell her side of the story. Both learn their lessons, keep a lid on their opinions.
Through Archie, you get a fair understanding of the grind that CA aspirants go through, how they’re always racing against time without any social life. One wishes audiences got a glimpse of Parth’s journey as much as Archie and Niraj; it’s as if there are no setbacks in his life at all. And Tejas, Vishal could’ve been a little more than Archie’s cheerleaders in the context of the story.
The ending is neat; both Archie and Niraj experience a sense of loss and victory at different levels, hinting at how challenging it is to do a balancing act in life. Half CA Season 2, like most shows on Amazon MX Player, is an easy, accessible one-time watch. There’s no effort to subvert norms; the proceedings remain light and easy to digest. You know what you’ll get out of it, so pick your choice accordingly.
Music and Other Departments?
On the technical front, there’s no real stand-out factor to make an impression – the crew more or less falls in place with the show’s established structure and tries to perform their respective roles to the best of their abilities. Arabinda Neog’s score is neat, keeping the essence of the proceedings intact. Cinematographer Georgy John, within the limitations of his backdrops, mounts the story with reasonable visual flair. The runtime is compact enough for the characters to make progress, rise and fall, minus any melodramatic turns.
Other Artists?
Gyanendra Tripathi is passable in a sedate, withdrawn role. Prit Kamani’s exuberance helps the show at times; Anmol Kajani and Rohan Joshi are okay, but have too little to do.
Highlights?
Easy to watch, lightweight story
Reasonably well executed
Gets its basics right, serves as timepass
Drawbacks?
Remains formulaic all along
Limited scope of the story
Supporting characters are not well fleshed out
Did I Enjoy It?
In parts
Will You Recommend It?
If you’re in the mood for something breezy in the same format as Kota Factory
Half CA Season 2 Review by Binged Bureau
We’re hiring!
We are hiring two full-time junior to mid-level writers with the option to work remotely. You need to work a 5-hour shift and be available to write. Interested candidates should email their sample articles to [email protected]. Applications without a sample article will not be considered.
