Director Avinash Arun Dhaware, who in the past had taken us on the immersive experience of Paatal Lok, delivers School of Lies, another gripping drama that blends mystery and suspense to an unsettling effect. Produced by BBC Studios India and streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, the eight-episode series stands out for the questions it raises through an intriguing plot and stunning visuals. Here are four reasons why School of Lies is a must watch.
A student disappears from the school compound
Shakti Salgaonkar (Vir Pachisia), a 12-year-old student at RISE, an elite private school in a fictitious hill station called Dalton Town, goes absent from class all day. Despite a thorough search on the campus, he is not found anywhere. Did he run away? Was he kidnapped? Is he alive? The disappearance of the young boy throws the entire school into a state of chaos and fear, and no one is beyond the needle of suspicion.
The key characters are hiding something
The standards of academic excellence and strict discipline that RISE is known for is actually a facade for several wrongdoings that Shakti’s disappearance lifts the veil on. Every character seems to be concealing something. Among them is Shakti’s housemaster Samuel Mahender Singh (Aamir Bashir), student counsellor Nandita (Nimrat Kaur), and Shakti’s seniors Vikram Singh (Varin Roopani) and TK (Aryan Singh Ahlawat). The school’s gardener Bhola (Nitin Goel), who peddles drugs on the side, also has secrets of his own.
As the narrative pieces together what might have happened, with accounts of the main characters, it turns out that Shakti was friends with Bhola’s son Chanchal (Divyansh Dwivedi), and the duo would often wander around Dalton Town, exploring the hills and valleys. Shakti’s mother Trisha (Geetika Vidya Ohlyan), who is divorced and in a new relationship, adds to the complexity of the situation.
The heart of the matter: Are children safe either in school or at home?
Written by Ishani Banerjee and Nishant Agarwala, School of Lies tackles a range of issues — bullying, drug addiction, child sexual abuse, growing up in dysfunctional families, loneliness and coming to terms with one’s sexuality.
Throughout the eight episodes, the show sticks to its premise — of asking whether children are indeed safe in places that are supposed to be safest for them — their home and their school. It explores how vulnerable pre-teens and teenagers often are, how they struggle to find people they can trust and how that trust is often misused by the people closest to them.
Neither the school nor the parents in School of Lies are able to offer a safe environment where the children could express themselves freely. There is a poignant scene where Vikram is in the car with Nandita and is struggling to come clean to her about what he has done, but fails to do so. The pain in Vikram’s eyes in the close-up shot says it all.
Strong performances from veterans and rookies
Alongside the strong writing, cinematography and editing, the success of School of Lies rests on its ensemble cast, comprising seasoned actors and young newcomers. Vir Pachisia brings a sense of innocence, adventure and sadness to Shakti that is characteristic of growing-up years.
Aamir Bashir is a compelling presence as the enigmatic housemaster, while Nimrat Kaur effectively offsets the tension to some extent as the empathetic counsellor, offering a glimmer of hope. Varin and Aryan perform their roles with immense maturity, portraying the moral dilemma and their inner battles.
