PremiumGullak Season 4 Review - The endearing soul continues to shine even in a season that feels like just a warm up for the future
The art of making Gullak is something that needs to be dissected, the magic reflects us but season 4 does lack the crescendo.
Last Updated: 12.30 AM, Jun 07, 2024
Gullak Season 4 Review: The Mishras are Moving Ahead. Adulthood has knocked on the Mishra family's doors. Santosh (Jameel Khan) and Shanti (Geetanjali Kulkarni) continue to love and quarrel; Annu (Vaibhav Raj Gupta) has grown up and knows his responsibility. For Aman (Harsh Mayar), adulthood is approaching, and the confidence that grows with his patchy beard has taken over his brain. How does the Mishra family make peace with two young sons now set out on the journey to become men?
Gullak Season 4 Review: Analysis
Before we begin, the writer of this review is obsessed with Gullak, and there is no way he will not write a love letter to the soul of this show. However, he does have some complaints this time. So, read the entire review before making any wild decisions to come at him. While the world of TVF has always been close to real life, out of all of them, Gullak is the closest. It was never about a particular class, community, landscape, or language. It was always about the beauty and the loopholes of a family that we cover from time to time by painting the walls, and even if we don't, we buy a curtain to cover those. But there is no way we are abandoning any of it. In season 4, the Mishras have progressed with another pair of hands earning for the house.
They no longer think twice before pulling out their wallets because they know there is plenty to satisfy their needs at the moment. 500-rupee notes being pulled out of the pockets and lockers is now a common thing because, like the Gullak said last time, “Mishra family me naya savings account khula hai”. And this is exactly where the soul of Gullak remains intact. No voice-over is telling you to look at the notes, nor does the camera focus, but at this point, you have known the Mishras enough to know these are not the Mishras from two seasons ago who would think twice before doing that? And that's how one writes a show that goes beyond what is on the screen and talks to the audience as their friend.
Shreyansh Pandey, who served as the creator for the last three seasons, now takes the entire reins in his hands as he serves as the writer, director, and creator with writer Vidit Tripathi by his side. Gullak Season 4 reminds us of everything it stands for in the very first episodes. It acknowledges the changed dynamics and jumps right into the story. We are told the house where we have made so many memories is now in danger, and something must be done to save it. So technically, the build-up is almost non-existent, and we are directly talking business now. The boys are growing up; they have their set of challenges, discoveries, attractions, the struggle to earn more, and a whole lot of things. But it is also about the parents evolving and growing old.
While new additions are quite adolescent now, it is the old factors that make Gullak Season 4 a decent watch. Annu acknowledged that he once was into smoking and giving a TED talk to Aman about why he should not let his ego come in the way of bowing down in front of their parents. Or the beautiful display of love between Shanti and Santosh. Their love is in a few words and glances; it is allowed a few dramatic moments when the children are not around, and Annu suddenly has a say in making decisions. It is the details and their evolution that make Pandey’s writing so special.
But it is the soul of Gullak that manages to keep us hooked, and there is a whole lot to make us go away from it too. Even with the one-challenge-per-episode format, the first three seasons had a recurring conflict always lurking around. With Season 4, there is a new problem every episode, and nothing grows enough to move you like the last seasons. Remember when Annu cried while clicking that picture which now hangs on the wall of the sitting area? Or remember when he wore Santosh’s slippers when Santosh suffered a cardiac arrest and he suddenly became the responsible child? The new season lacks exactly that: a conflict has grown to an extent where the crescendo peaks to where a viewer sees fragments of their lives too clearly.
Not saying this season is not relatable, it still is. But most of it is surface-level or feels like a warm-up for what is to come and not a strong, solid, complete season, as the crescendo of the season 3 finale was at an all-time high. Helly Shah has a cameo and doesn't get to do much. Jameel Khan, Geetanjali Kulkarni, Vaibhav Raj Gupta, and Harsh Mayar have all now become their respective characters, almost accepting them as their alter egos. No single note goes wrong, and every single argument scene is on point. It is Sunita Rajwar we need to celebrate; she gets a transition scene in the final episode, and it instantly elevates her character to a higher level, making her a woman who understands.
Moreover, Sunita is definitely ruling this season with two massive shows releasing a week apart, and this is exactly after she comes back from the Cannes Film Festival, where she represented a film, Santosh, in which she plays a pivotal part. A star to celebrate and acknowledge for the stellar work.
The music of Gullak Season 4 doesn't grow much. It is an interesting decision by the end of season 4 that Santosh takes; if the makers choose to explore that, it will make for a season that will bring back the fading glory.
Gullak Season 4 Review: Final Verdict
The magic is intact, and that is the best part about this tale of the Mishras, but that cannot make you ignore the fact that season 4 acts like a warm-up and not a follow-up to the high crescendo set by season 3.
Gullak season 4 streams on SonyLIV from June 7, 2024, and you can watch it with your OTTplay Premium subscription. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.