#90s Web Series Review

Cast: Shivaji, Vasuki Anand Sai, Mouli Tanuj Prashant, Vasanthika, Rohan Roy and others.

Music Director: Suresh Bobbili

DOP: Azeem Mohammed

Producer: Naveen Medaram & Rajasekhar Medaram

Director: Aditya Hasan

OTT Platform: ETVWIN

Seasoned actor Shivaji gained a lot of popularity after 'Bigg Boss'. He played the lead role in a web series titled '#90s' which is now streaming on ETVWin. Social media sensation Mouli who did 'Hostel Days' recently is also the main character in this series. The trailer impressed a lot of people and the series is now streaming. Let us find out how it is.

Story:

This is a biopic made on a lot of middle class families. Chandrasekhar (Shivaji) is a middle class government school teacher who is concerned about money and the future of his kids. His wife Rani (Vasuki) looks after the entire house despite no one noticing her efforts. Three kids Raghu (Mouli), Divya (Vasanthika) and Aditya (Rohan Roy) deal with their own set of problems. While the eldest son and daughter are good in studies, the youngest one Aditya doesn't get good marks but he is the most intelligent and street smart of the lot. The series deals with this regular family does will day-to-day issues together and move on in life.

Analysis:

OTT content is being labeled as adult content lately. The lack of censorship is enabling the makers to put as much violence and filthy language as they can in order to cater to the youth. It has been a long time since we have seen an OTT series that can be watched with a family comprising of kids, youngsters and adults. '#90s' comes in as a breath of fresh air. There are no twists, there is no bloodshed, there are no intimate scenes and there are zero cuss words. It is almost like looking at ourselves in the characters. People who are born in the 90s will definitely connect with this series.

Thanks to the performances of the lead actors, you get connected to the characters instantly. The series feels like a revisit to all your nostalgic memories. You will go back to your childhood and remember the days when we used to find with our siblings for the money we got from our relatives, the fear we get when the teachers asked you to get your answer sheets signed by your parents, getting beatings from the teacher, school love/crush and everything. The best thing is that this series does not just showcase your childhood but also sheds light on what our parents went through when we were growing up.

The clean fun generated in this series is highly enjoyable and the emotional moments are equally appealing. Though there is not much of a story in this series and looks like it is just a collection of moments, the director deals with sensitive issues too. He deals with societal pressure on kids to get good marks in one episode while he talks about the faults in our education system and the teaching model in another. He speaks about the importance of homemaking moms in every household in an episode and he touches on the topic of women empowerment where the director suggests that it is important to make your girl braver rather than be fearful. The series has its share of flaws too. The snail pace may not go well with everyone and the love portions get repetitive after a certain point as they go nowhere. The editing and visuals are a bit tacky at times but they all get overshadowed due to the relatability of the characters. On the whole, #90s is a show that is worth your time.

Performances:

Shivaji does a very good job in the role of an ordinary father who worries about his kids and an extraordinary teacher who does everything to help his best student. The subtle emotions he portrays throughout the series are wonderful. He evokes good fun even without a smile on his face. His action in the episode about his daughter definitely touches you.

Vasuki Anand Sai does a very good job as a caring mother who takes care of everything. Though her Telangana accent is a bit off at times, she gives a good performance. Mouli has a natural talent for acting. His comedy timing is brilliant as usual and it is he who narrates every episode. He did decently during the emotional moments too. Vasanthika did quite well as the daughter while Rohan Roy as the youngest steals the show with his energy and timing.

The kid who plays Raghu's friend did well too and the young actress who played Raghu's love interest also impresses you. The rest of the actors are fine.

Technicians:

#90s is made on a very restricted budget. It does not have rich visuals and the production values are quite limited. But it is the writing and direction which works in favour of the series. It is filled with fun, emotions and subtle messaging too despite not giving any speeches. Apart from the repetitive scenes in a couple of episodes especially the romantic portions, the series goes smoothly. Aditya Hasan should be commended for delivering a clean family series that has brilliant writing, good performances and brings a smile on your face. The realistic approach towards every scene and the relatability factor are the biggest plus points of this series.

Verdict: #90s – Clean Fun, Touching Emotions & Complete Relatability!