There have been multiple movies and web series on OTT platforms that explore sex and sex work. At this point, it feels like this theme has been used and overused by filmmakers. A latest web series has explored sex, desire, and familial values, yet again. But this time it has explored the life of a male sex worker and has introduced a new angle to this overused theme. ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’ was released on Netflix on Thursday. With nine episodes, this show has become the talk of the town. In case you are planning to watch this story of a CA topper who turns into a gigolo, then here’s all that you need to know about ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper.’
‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’: Story
The story revolves around Tribhuvan Mishra (played by Manav Kaul), a simple man who works at a government office. Mishra lives with his wife – Ashoklata (played by Naina Sareen) – and their two children in a house in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. What sets Mishra apart from other officials in his office is that he is strictly against all sorts of bribery. He prides himself on his honesty often to the disapproval of his wife, mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and others who see him living paycheck to paycheck.
Mishra’s life takes a turn when RBI freezes all bank accounts in the bank where he has saved his entire life savings. To deal with this banking crisis, he finds ways to cope with the situation. One fine night, he registers himself on a website that offers paid sex services to women. Mishra becomes a hit as a gigolo, and he earns much more than he had imagined. However, tension peaks when one of his loyal clients, Bindi (played by Tillotama Shome), turns out to be the wife of a contract kidnapper, and her husband finds out about this. The web series explores how Mishra saves himself and his family as his own life comes in grave danger.
‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’: Performances
Manav Kaul, as Tribhuvan Mishra, has delivered a fantastic performance. When we are first introduced to him, he is shown as a simple man who always apologizes first, faints at the slightest sight of blood, and shies away when it comes to talking to any woman who is not his wife or friend. However, as the series progresses, he becomes bolder and more comfortable in his skin. He does not shy away anymore from speaking for himself. When you watch the nine episodes, you can see how beautifully Kaul has evolved in his performance. He starts on a steady foot but as the series progresses, he becomes even more stronger in his portrayal. He is the embodiment of modern masculinity that does not hide from showing affection to his wife or being soft and gentle when needed. His accent is on point, and his screen presence is affable.
He is perfectly complemented by Tillotama Shome who plays Bindi. It is refreshing to see filmmakers offer Shome newer roles and not restrict her to roles where she is playing a domestic worker. As Bindi, Shome is confident on the screen and has delivered a stellar performance. However, watching her gets even more exciting when she gets rejected by Mishra and she takes it upon herself to kill him. This flip of emotions has been brought out very smoothly by the actor.
Naina Sareen as Ashoklata Mishra is brilliantly cast in this role. Faisal Malik as Haider Ali is on top of his game. Subhrajyoti Barat as Teekaram Jain is another interesting character who is a treat to watch on the screen. But the actor who entirely blows you away is Shweta Basu Prasad as the bhabhi who is a dark horse. She is shown as a meek bahu in the house but when she gets guns in her hands, she becomes an entirely different person much to the shock of the audience and even the characters. She has put in all the hard work, and it shows.
‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’: Script, Direction & Technical Aspects
What catches your attention when you pick ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’ is the plot. The plot is what works for this web series because it has taken something novel and has explored it in great detail. The show also serves as an interesting study of how Mishra’s clients are not looked down at. All of his clients are seen as women who with sexual autonomy. Another refreshing aspect was how this series does not promote extramarital affairs. In the scene where Bindi asks Mishra to elope with her, he refuses her offer and tells her how much he loves his wife and his family, and he takes up this job to deal with his financial crisis. The dialogues have been written well as the show revolves entirely around situational comedy.
The series has been shot well as it captures Noida as the chaotic city that it is. Some scenes are shot extremely well, and they linger with you even after the series moves to a new scene. In a show about sex work, the sex scenes have been shot for what they are rather than making it come across as sleazy or cheap. The colour grading is bright and neon-ish which adds to the theme and the entire ambience of Noida.
What does not work for this well-meaning show is the length. The episodes are arduously long. Every scene takes its own sweet time to simmer and boil. It feels slower than a slow burn. Shows like these need a quick pacing and action after action. This series relies a lot on the reaction shots and the aimless banter between sidekicks which are not even important to the plot. The show could have done well if the episodes were edited crisply. Additionally, the music also does not do much for the series or the plot.
‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’: Cast & Crew
Director: Amrit Raj Gupta, Puneet Krishna
Writer: Puneet Krishna
Cast: Manav Kaul, Tillotama Shome, Subhrajyoti Barat, Shweta Basu Prasad, Naina Sareen, Sumit Gulati, Faisal Malik, Shrikant Verma, Jitin Gulati, Yamini Das, Ashok Pathak
Available On: Netflix
Duration: 9 episodes (44 – 67 minutes each)
Languages: Hindi
‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’: Can Kids Watch It?
No, the web series contains mentions of sex and violence.
Outlook’s Verdict
Despite the hour-long episodes, I stuck around with ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’ hoping it would surprise me at the end. I was hopeful because the show took so long with every scene that I anticipated something bigger and better waiting for me in the end. But the climax was chaotic and senseless, so much so that it felt like the makers had rushed through writing the scene and included everything and anything that they could think of. The show works because of the strong performances and the situational comedy. But after a while, the comedy also starts wearing off. I found myself hitting the skip button many times just so that I could reach the action and the interesting bits. The show simply lost sight midway. I am going with 2 stars.
