Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya Review: Kay Kay Menon, Archana Puran Singh's Series Tries Too Hard But Offers Nothing New

Title: Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya

Director: Himank Gaur

Cast: Kay Kay Menon, Archana Puran Singh, Naveen Kasturia, Abhimanyu Singh, Deven Bhojani and others

Where: Prime Video

Rating: 2.5 stars

Right from its opening scene, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya feels painfully slow. The web series, which has an impressive starcast, is about a school teacher who hopes to go to Cambridge by making sure his students top in board exams. Read on to know if you should stream it or skip it.

Actors Performances

Undoubtedly, Kay Kay Menon as Gyaneshwar Tripathy is outstanding. He plays the bechara school teacher effortlessly and is a complete natural in every scene. Archana Puran Singh is impressive as kadak admin Urmila Devi. Her character is the perfect mix of likeable and despicable and the actress reminds us why she is much more than someone who sits behind a chair and laughs out loud. The rest of the cast ably supports. Special mention to all the child artists. They are the cherry on the icing. Every single actor has done justice to his/her role.

Direction and Aesthetics

Director Himank Gaur attempts to create a realistic world showcasing the state of schools in India. There are episodes (3, 5 and 7) where his direction impresses. However, overall, the show feels painfully slow. The sets (the school especially) are done very well. Tiny details like the paint on the walls peeling off stand out. The lighting, background score and make up enhances the realistic feel of the show. The sex education song is one of it’s highlights.

FPJ Verdict

There are shows that are a treat to binge watch and then there is this one. Since there is so much going on in Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, it ends up becoming more boring and less entertaining. One really wants to root for the main characters, however they are too cliched. Despite a solid premise, the show disappoints. It could have been an exceptional one that highlights the problems faced by students and teachers in an Indian school. However, it ends up being banal. It can easily be skipped.