Directed by Arunabh Kumar and Vaibhav Bundhoo, The Viral Fever’s (TVF) Pitchers Season 2, currently streaming on Zee5, looks for comedy in the cut-throat world of Indian startups. Though it plays on the same strings it did seven years ago with the original show, the music that comes out this time will appear too serious to some as they may feel like stumbling upon an opera on their way to a pop concert.
Seven years after the release of Pitchers, Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Abhay Mahajan and Abhishek Banerjee reprise their roles alongside some new, interesting characters played by Riddhi Dogra, Ronjini Chakraborty, Sikandar Kher and Ashneer Grover.
While the first season of Pitchers chronicled the journey of four friends — Naveen, Yogi, Mandal and Jeetu — who quit their regular jobs to set up a startup called Pragati.AI, the second season, comprising five episodes, focuses on the nitty-gritty of the world of startups where personal relationships slowly but surely morph into business dealings.
Although one of the pals (Jeetu) has already left the company, the other three are trying to maintain the company’s operations and draw in investors. As they try to keep their dream project afloat, the webs of personal bonding that kept them together for so long begin to fray at the edges. The new dynamics between the friends make Pitchers 2 an intriguing watch albeit at the cost of some lighthearted entertainment.
Right from a faithful description of India’s startup landscape after the pandemic to a wistful look at what had been, the latest season of TVF’s most-loved comedy show mirrors the world’s transition from ‘Songs of Innocence’ to ‘Songs of Experience’ over the years, offering a commentary on friendship, human bonding and existential crisis.
A poster of TVF Pitchers S2. IMDb
The three leading men of Pragati — Naveen Kasturia as Naveen, Arunabh Kumar as Yogi and Abhay Mahajan as Mandal — make this slow-paced and painstakingly detailed drama work. Naveen perfectly portrays the drive and ambition of his character that is almost obsessed with the startup, while Yogi is still a hothead with a heart of gold who makes up for his lack of intellectual contribution with fierce loyalty and a never-give-up attitude. However, it is Mandal who steals the show with his nuanced performance. The most comical character of the first season has become the most humane character of the trio. Mandal’s scenes with his elder brother (Vipul Goyal) give us a glimpse of the real person under the corporate facade.
A host of new characters come up with eye-catching performances, including impactful cameos by former Shark Tank judge Ashneer Grover and Sikandar Kher. Vipul Goyal as Mandal’s goofy, supportive elder brother and Ronjini Chakraborty’s Appu, one of Pragati’s oldest employees who eventually becomes Jeetu’s replacement as the CTO of the company, are equally vital to the plot. Riddhi Dogra’s Prachi, an investor and a board member of Pragati, is the most memorable new character. She is confident, compassionate and pragmatic. She also acts as the conscience of Naveen, who is often blinded by ambition.
