Fantastic acting, beautiful music and brilliant dialogues, TVF’s new series Aspirants tells the story of 3 college friends preparing for the civil services exam in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. The premise of the show is such that it left viewers waiting for new episodes ever since its release.
From the struggles of aspirants from middle class families to those with no job security, Aspirants portrays the UPSC preparation phase perfectly. Here’s a few best moments from the show that feel real.
1. The opening scene where SK sir asks his students why they want to become a civil servant and tells them what it is like to dream to prepare for the UPSC exam.
Yeh UPSC ka exam na physically hi nahi mentally bhi choos leta hai. First attempt nahi nikla, second… final attempt nahi nikla. Palat ke dekhoge zindagi ka 6 saal gayab… Mehnat koi nahi dekhta. Log aayenge failure ka medal daalenge aur bolenge sincere nahi tha.
Making them aware of the level of the toughness, he tells them that 99.9% of them wouldn’t clear the exam. But the fact that they are preparing for it, makes them a worthy aspirant.
2. When Walia uncle invites Abhilash to sit with him and watch news because he believes that it will improve his current affairs and GS.
Abhilash lives in a rented room in Walia uncle’s house. Troubled with the loud noise of the TV, he asks Walia uncle to shift the TV to another room. But Walia tries to convince him to watch news with him instead.
3. When Abhilash introduces him to Sandeep Bhaiya expecting free guidance in return and he outrightly says he won’t do that.
4. When Guri tries to solve Abhilash’s confusion over which subject he should choose and ends up confusing him all the more.
5. When Sandeep Bhaiya asks Abhilash why he wants to become an IAS officer, forces him to brainstorm and tells him to come up with an answer.
6. When Sandeep Bhaiya convinces Abhilash to attend the seminar at his coaching institute by making an analogy with the experience of watching a live match in a cricket stadium.
Abhilash insists on not going to the seminar failing to realise its importance. This is when Sandeep Bhaiya asks him to go.
7. When Abhilash decides not to quit coaching and refuses to recognise the admin staff with whom he had requested to refund the fees.
Within the first few days of joining the coaching, Abhilash was not happy with the teachers and had requested the institute to refund his fees. Later, he changed his mind under the influence of Sandeep bhaiya.
8. When Guri tells SK that he getting married to Dhairya, Abhilash’s ex-girlfriend and this is the reason why he doesn’t want Abhilash to be present at the wedding.
9. When Abhilash argues with Walia uncle and his teacher saying India has never done anything great and goes on to say that he is not a proud Indian.
10. When Dhairya requests Abhilash to try a new frame for his specs despite him saying that he doesn’t wear rimless ones.
11. When Abhilash realises the importance of having a positive approach towards results and Sandeep bhaiya feels motivated that if he could bring a change in Abhilash’s attitude, he can bring about a greater change in society.
He changes his behaviour with Walia uncle and family and figures out why he wants to be an IAS in the first place.
12. When SK falls unconscious due to anxiety before prelims following his father’s call asking him about his plan B, if not UPSC starts feeling the pressure.
13. When Sandeep bhaiya opens about his relationship with fiancee Kusum and family’s not-so-great financial status to Abhilash and how Kusum supported his dream of becoming an IAS.
Sandeep feels sad thinking about how he had asked one year from his family to prepare for the exam and he’s still at ground zero after 4 years.
14. When the gang of boys discuss a guy whose girlfriends cleared UPSC every time and he failed coming to the conclusion that Old Rajinder Nagar’s relationships never work.
15. When Abhilash, Guri and Sandeep Bhaiya fail to clear the prelims exam.
16. When SK calls Abhilash and requests him to attend Guri’s wedding to complete their ‘tripod’.
SK, Guri and Abhilash were inseparable in college and people used to call them ‘tripod’ – always sticking together.
17. When Asst. Labour Commissioner Sandeep Ohlan (Sandeep Bhaiya) pays a surprise visit to Abhilash’s office and the two have the life-changing talk.
Sandeep tells Abhilash why it is not worth to sacrifice everything for their dreams and how he regrets not holding on to Kusum in a bid to pursue his dream of becoming a civil servant.
18. When Abhilash reaches to attend Guri and Dhairya’s wedding forgetting their past and differences.
If you’ve watched the show, tell us your favourite moment in comments. If not, you can watch it here.