Post passing my 10th std with a percentage which wasn't up to my expectations, I took a vow to improve my score in my 12th & take admission in a prestigious engineering college. My parents like the rest of India were convinced that engineering is the only degree worth studying for. Any other vocation was vetoed & I was dissuaded from taking it up. It didn't help that all the smart kids took up either engineering or medicine. The peer & parental pressure got to me & I too dreamt of an engineering degree, followed by MS in the US. The world we be at my feet post getting an MS degree. It didn't strike my parents or I that most of my marks were scored in languages, history, geography & social studies. Science & maths were pulling my score down! It was attributed to my lack of hard work & my laid back attitude. As expected my score worsened in my 12th board exams & my family was exalted that I did not fail. I scored just 60%. Now instead of using sound logic & quitting science & taking up commerce or BMS I died the most sensible thing - joined engineering in a college far off from the city & vowed again to work hard & improve my score, now that I had been given another chance. As you must have guessed, I flunked in my engineering several times & managed to pass with horrible marks. Luckily it dawned on me that engineering is not my calling I should try my hand at marketing instead. I gave competitive exams to get into a good B- school & luckily got through. The MBA degree turned my life around. I am now settled with a cushy job & the respect of my peers, unlike my engineering days when I no one wanted me in their projects! Till date I wonder how my life would have turned out had I chosen commerce post my 10th std itself. This is the story of several Indians, which is playing out till date. My happiness knew no bounds when I saw Rajkumar Hirani's 3 Idiots. Finally a movie based on the lives of engineers & our flawed education system But 3 Idiots was about a fictional college based on IIT - the best engineering colleges of the country. All the students in the movie had job interview & subsequent offers post completing the course. What about the guys like me who studied in sub standard colleges, had a tough time understand the technical subjects & struggled to clear their papers? Luckily for me, my prayers have been answered. Biswa Kalyan Rath - of Pretentious Reviews fame needs to be thanked for making a show on the lives of the neglected, harassed & abused lot of engineers or wannabe IITians with no aptitude for engineering. Anybody who has struggled through their engineering or taken up science till 12th standard only to quit later on will relate to this show. The show revolves around Aakash Gupta(Ritwik Sahore) who has scored just 55% in his 10th std & now wants to take up commerce. But his father has other plans. He is shipped of to a town in AP, to prepare for IIT entrance exams. Aakash's expressions & situations are too funny. While Aakash is getting jacked, you can't help but feel sorry & laugh at his plight. We are then introduced to Chudail, Bakri & the rest of the supporting cast. Chudail & Bakri are perfectly cast in their roles. The show has even twists & turns to make you binge. Shivkumar plays his role of the greedy & cunning director of the institute-Murthy well. There are no known faces barring Biswa. The show does have some dark shades. While I may be biased towards the show, thanks to the central plot being something I closely relate to, I can assure you that you will love this show. Amazon prime has managed to impress me once again post Inside Edge. The last episode made us believe that there is ample scope for a second season & I don't see any impediment for Amazon Prime to sanction a second season to the makers. The Golden Age of Indian TV has begun!
