Gullak is back with season four. Starring Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Jameel Khan and Harsh Mayar in the lead, the show revolves around the Mishra family as they tackle their everyday middle-class problems and parenting dilemmas. It is now streaming on Sony LIV.
At a time when there’s no dearth of thrillers, crime dramas and action-related films/shows on OTT, feel-good shows such as Gullak, Panchayat and Yeh Meri Family give your mood a much-needed boost. However, the latest season of Gullak turns out to be a disappointment in this case. The show suffers from a weak plot line and fails to take the legacy of the previous three seasons forward. It looks merely a compilation of a few scenes from a middle-class household. In each episode, it raises certain questions about parenting, expense-management and sibling relations but fails to explore these aspects.
The show’s title i.e. Gullak is also not explained well in the new season. Even though Gullak is the narrator of the show, by the end of episode five, you wonder if the anchor is even needed in the first place. Gullak, the narrator, only talks about how a small family with limited income manages their daily expense in a rural household.
It is worth noting that Gullak 4’s release comes two months after the release of Yeh Meri Family 3 and a week after Panchayat 3 premiered on Prime Video. These two series have set standards for any light-hearted shows revolving around middle-class families very, very high. And therefore, the wafer-thin plot of Gullak 4 leaves you disappointed.
Sunita Rajwar, who has been getting rave reviews for her performance as Kranti Devi in Panchayat, is also a part of Gullak 4. But she’s given a very little screen time and a character which does not add anything to the plot. However, in this limited screen time too, she showcases her brilliant acting skills and wins hearts.
Other actors like Vaibhav Raj Gupta, Geetanjali Kulkarni and Jameel Khan have also played their parts with utmost sincerity. The amount of efforts they have put in to bring life to their respective characters is visible on screen. However, their earnest performances are the only saving grace of this otherwise boring show.