‘Kota Factory’ Season 3 Review: The flaws in our factories

A scene from ‘Kota Factory’ | Photo Credit: Netflix

At a time when the utility of coaching hubs for society is in doubt, the third season of the black-and-white series Kota Factory Most people view this problem through rose-colored glasses. While placing the onus of life-threatening pressure on students on a demand-supply model – where the ratio between seats and candidates is highly skewed – it romanticises the factory model that pushes 15-16 year olds into a race to become engineers and doctors through rigid schedules.

This tells us that this city in Rajasthan has a first mover advantage. If its ecosystem has become mechanical in the last few years, other centres are also on the same path. The makers are not in a hurry to change the process but like a seasoned politician are seeking votes for another season by providing a good experience to the target audience, the affected students and the parents. This gives a feeling that a few changes here and there will keep the coaching business aerodynamic and keep the students in the conveyor belt.

The debate on whether coaching centres should focus only on potential rankers or give equal importance to laggards also ignores the important aspect of money. Isn’t it quantity that runs any factory? It hides this with the altruistic goal of celebrating preparation.

Similarly, on the depressing question of board exams clashing with competitive exams, it doesn’t discuss the role of schooling in preparing students for competitive exams and why teenagers flee to prepare for an elusive dream, sorry, goal, as the series says. Instead, it makes a kind of small advertisement about how coaching centres are preparing students for their boards as well. For the most part, you feel like you are solving a question where both the statement and the argument are true but the argument is not the correct explanation of the statement.

However, if you’re looking for a detailed templated experience in League jury, The matter is legalAnd CandidatesThe series does not disappoint, as currently, TVF’s algorithm is better than most templates in the OTT space.

Produced by Raghav Subbu and directed by Pratish Mehta, this time, the five-episode series introduces a new set of basic questions like the IPL vs IIT debate that haunts many young minds during dinner table discussions and also brings forth the financial struggles of those coming from modest, rural backgrounds to crack the Kota exam. Then there is the sweet pressure of combining romance with preparation. Of course, the writers handle the conundrums dispassionately as if they were a set of multiple choice questions from the last 20 years, but it does provide moments to think and laugh under your breath, especially for those who want to relive old memories from a burning issue. The crisp editing doesn’t let the episodes drag and the conversations are relatable.

For a change, after facing a traumatic event in the last season, Jeetu is faced with the dilemma of transcending the reserved boundaries of Sir and becoming a brotherly figure to his students.

The good thing about the third season is that not all the answers are given by Jeetu Bhaiya; other teachers also get a chance to tackle the same questions in their own way. Tillotama Shome adds value and depth to the series as chemistry teacher Pooja, who is expected to play an important role in future seasons. Rajesh Kumar as practical math teacher Gagan Rastogi provides an interesting contrast to both Jeetu Bhaiya and Jitendra Kumar as the actor.

Jeetendra has limited skills, but the sincerity he brings to his performance makes him lovable despite the repetition. The young actors do the same, especially Ranjan Raj as Balmukund Meena and Ahsaas Channa as Shivangi. Raj stands out as a boy from a drought-hit region who struggles to keep his values ​​intact in the face of many temptations, some of which seem quite reasonable. Mayur More brings out Vaibhav’s confidence and vulnerability, and Revathi Pillai gets a character that is hard to grasp.

The best part is that the series aspires to give teachers a central place in education policy making. It is still a work in progress, hopefully machines will find a natural heart.

Kota Factory Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix