Half CA Review: Ahsaas Channa and Gyanendra Tripathi deliver knockout performances in gripping drama

3/5

Story: Half CA talks about the life of CA aspirants and how their journey and lives are different from other students in the country.

Review: TVF has gained immense viewership and fan following over the years due to its inclination towards youth-oriented shows. From comedy-drama series like Permanent Roommates and Panchayat to hard-hitting dramas such as Aspirants and Kota Factory, the stories connect with OTT audiences, most of whom are youngsters, instantly.

Half CA is one such drama series that showcases the reality of the students as they prepare for one of the toughest exams in India. The show parallels the story of two pivotal characters, Archie and Niraj (played by Ahsaas Channa and Gyanendra Tripathi, respectively), who both aspire to become CAs. While Archie is at the beginning of her preparation, Niraj has already failed his first two attempts at CA final exams and is preparing for his third.

Writers Khushbu Baid, Arunabh Kumar, Tatsat Pandey, and Harish Peddinti take the story smoothly yet keep it fast-paced to not let the audience lack interest. Apart from the serious characters, Half CA showcases the tales of a few other people in the series who represent the other side of these comparative exams. The one who doesn't want to crack a crucial exam for the country, however, still becomes a part of the journey until they find their own passion and purpose in life.

Even though the course, characters, and actors are different, Half CA reminds you of the Abhilash Thapliyal and Sunny Hinduja starrer Aspirants, which created a huge buzz across the country in 2021. Niraj (Tripathi) in Half CA and Aspirants' Sandeep (Hinduja) are the most crucial and similar characters in both series.

As always, Channa delivers an impeccable act as a student, which is not something new, yet the arc of her character makes her look fresh. Apart from reminding you of Sandeep Bhaiya from Aspirants, Tripathi engrosses you in his difficult and sad journey. You wish to never be in his place and, at the same time, root for him to win this battle.

Anmol Kajani and Rohan Joshi support the pivotal cast and especially Channa's character well, while Prit Kamani appears for a very short time on the screen but keeps breaking the monotony of the show whenever he does.

Half CA doesn't end like most stories that display the hero winning at the end and getting a grand sendoff, but it concludes in the middle of a journey and showcases how sometimes hope is the most important factor to keep moving in life.

Verdict: Even though there are a lot of similarities with Aspirants, Half CA has its own journey and flavours of emotions that these students go through. Some of the anecdotes appear repetitive, yet the latest TVF series delivers a great tale about a whole other section of the youth of this country.