Jeetendra Kumar maintains his balance with impressive control

The constant chatter and jumble of complex mathematical equations and problems runs through Season 3 Kota factory. To that extent, the TVF-produced Netflix series offers much more than what we’ve come to expect from it.

But that’s not all in the five new episodes that advance the struggle of boys and girls amid the rough and tumble of Kota’s IIT coaching universe. The not-so-secret sauce that went into it Kota factory So far it’s been mainly sweet and sour. Season 3 adds edginess to the mix.

Several dramatic crescendos find their way into the plot. This helps spice up the occasion as it races towards its culmination – the all-important IIT-JEE Advanced exam.

Growing up has its flip side. It comes with its share of awkward tumbles and bitter lessons. Quota Factory S3 seamlessly incorporates additional layers into its narrative tapestry without overtly tampering with its naturalistic core.

At times excessive and unequivocally necessary, the season produced by Raghav Subbu (who directed the ten episodes that made up the first two seasons of the show) and producer Arunabh Kumar offers much that is insightful, enlightening and entertaining.

Amidst the unsettling pressure of keeping up with the syllabus and racing against time, the pressure of impending exams and the dreaded fear of failing to meet the expectations of parents and teachers as D-Day approaches, the five new episodes take us to Vaibhav, Meena, Uday, Vartika, Deep into Shivangi and Meenal’s mind and mood.

Amid intense emotional turmoil, sometimes bruising and sometimes life-changing but never unnecessary, the drama of personal decision-making or breaks and exam-centre alarms at Kota’s IIT-JEE Coaching Hub still has ample meat. Fundamentals continue to strengthen.

Each episode has at least one defined flashpoint. One of the boys faces a financial crisis and is forced to tutor a schoolboy for some extra cash, while the other meets with an accident that threatens to put paid to his desire to take his IIT preparations to a logical conclusion.

The third introduces a tirade – a monologue whose intensity is heightened by a camera that circles around him – when the JEE date sheet arrives. To make matters worse, he ends up in the wrong place on exam day. Learning, unlearning and dealing with crisis is the name of the game for aspirants.

Working with a script by Puneet Batra and Pravin Yadav, director Pratish Mehta casts the narrative net wider than usual and brings in elements that go a long way to shed light on the thought process of the coaching staff, something the series has never done before. This point, of course, does not amount to this.

Quota Factory S3 The painstaking process of IIT and medical college aspirants preparing for the battle for important written exams and the constant harping on marks, ranks and procedures takes its toll on Jeetu Bhaiyya (Jitendra Kumar) and his colleagues.

Career progression Jitu Bhaiya and chemistry teacher Pooja (Tilotma Shome, whose presence in the coaching staff gives a push for gender representation in hitherto male-dominated spheres) must be considered along the way as tough calls are taken. Their students are nearing the end of their stint at Kota and ready for one final shot at glory.

Further on, we find Jeetu Bhaiya deep in a psychological abyss. Shaken by a tragic event, he goes into temporary hibernation. Upon his return, which his students are understandably excited about, Gagan (Rajesh Kumar), the maths teacher at the center, opens up about how they should run their coaching program.

Should potential toppers be given special treatment apart from laggards? Jeetu and Gagan disagree on this question, and the sharp estrangement threatens to create a rift between the two men, one of whom is in a fragile state of mind due to matters of greater (and deadly) import than pressing educational decisions. .

Jeetu Bhaiya realizes – if he doesn’t already – that it’s not easy to be a “brother” and an ever-available philosopher, rather than just a plain old professional teacher, working with a large group of youngsters with learning difficulties and handling the ropes and handling problems they may have to deal with. No and cannot proceed on their own.

A wide seepage from the ceiling of Jeetu Bhai’s living room disturbs the physics teacher – a metaphor for the pain points he is grappling with. Like a repairman who answers his call, Jitu finds help in the personal and professional crisis situations he faces.

Pooja, who has a way with words and people, steps in when things get out of hand for Jeetu. In addition, he seeks sessions with an experienced therapist, Dr. Sudha Vyas (Sohela Kapoor), who offers the man considered advice.

Jeetu Bhai’s problems and Pooja’s worries about the possibility of quotas overrunning mechanical education shops – at a time when the examination system is a complete mess, his worries assume an urgent edge – form important parts of the story, whose central plot still centers on the students. Quota factory S3 About their friendships and affairs, their accidents and redemptions, goodbyes and new beginnings.

Vaibhav (Mayur More), Balmukund Meena (Ranjan Raj) and Uday Gupta (Alam Khan), thick as thieves, navigate the highly competitive IIT coaching ecosystem, personal crises and their romantic (or, in one case, platonic) connection. Vartika (Revathy Pillai), Shivangi (Ahsas Channa) and Meenal (Urvi Singh).

They are all walking a tightrope that calls for single-minded focus but each of the three boys faces distractions in the form of their infatuations, insecurities and mistrust. There is a tall order hanging there – and that only adds to the challenges ahead of them.

Despite a lot of emotion and tension the acting is again in a completely relatable vein with important choices being pondered and made and goals achieved or missed. Jitendra Kumar’s Jeetu Bhaiya has to contend with more ups and downs than it has faced in the past. The actor, on his part, maintains his balance with impressive control.

The addition of Tilotma Shome to the cast had an immediate salutary effect. As the voice of moderation, reason and compassion, his character serves as a sounding board for Jeetu Bhaiyya, who stands for a combination of realism and elder brother solidarity, delivering a brilliant performance.

With a long rant that turns into a long continuous monologue, among other notable passages, Peacock More takes off with the show. But the support he gets from co-stars Ranjan Raj and Alam Khan is not normal at all. And this is exactly the kind of show that has lost none of the wind in its sails.