Hostel Daze was one of the few web series in the Indian web content space that had maintained its quality after the first season. As a result, the third season was bound to be the true litmus test. The absence of the protagonist (this year’s Adarsh Gourav) made things more difficult. And the fact that there are countless other similar shows on various platforms doesn’t help matters. Season 3 of Hostel Daze, on the other hand, hits the jackpot. It is, without a doubt, one of the best web series in Hindi available right now, balancing raucous humour with clever pop culture references, witty one-liners, and the depth of emotions rarely seen in campus dramas.
Season 3 of the show sees our gang begin their third year of engineering college, and the dynamics of the hostel change. For starters, there is a new Ankit, with Utsav Sarkar taking over for Adarsh, who played the character in the first two seasons. The show won me over in the first scene, when they introduced Utsav as Ankit in a very Crown-like manner. It’s a fun, meta scene that deserves to be recognised. There are numerous meta, almost-breaking-the-fourth-wall moments in the show that deserve to be recognised. The majority of them will most likely only register on a second watch.
The writing is the show’s star. No joke is a dud. The one-liners are as clever as anything on the Indian web right now, and the pop culture references are delectable. Everything from Shark Tank to Sidhu Moosewala finds a place in the script, and in a very clever way. Even if it starts out that way, it’s not all silly laughter. The first episode of the season is the weakest, partly because it sets the tone for the rest of the season. As a result, it is slower and sillier than the others. But it soon becomes heartwarming as well.
Each episode focuses on a different issue in the lives of students. The show’s subtle treatment of college romances and break-ups, body image issues, feelings of isolation, and peer pressure should be commended. The maturity with which the problem is handled never overpowers the lightness of tone. It’s all in good fun, but it’s also touching at times. It is up to the guest stars to bring gravitas and depth to the episodes as narrators. Sugandha Mishra, the alumna, and the late Raju Shrivastava, the campus tea-seller, stood out for me.
Perhaps it is only fitting that Raju, in his final posthumous screen appearance, stars in the episode about farewell and delivers a part-touching, part-comic performance part-funny monologue on goodbyes.
The actors do an excellent job of carrying the script. To address the elephant in the room, Utsav Sarkar is excellent in the role of Ankit. No, the show does not have an Adarsh Gourav-sized void. The actor is missed, but Utsav compensates for it. This season, the story has become more gang-centric than Ankit-centric, which is a wise choice because it does not overburden the new actor. Once again, Luv Vispute’s Chirag and Nikhil Vijay’s Jhaatu steal the show. The two actors make these eccentric characters believable and entertaining, never allowing them to become caricatured. Aayushi Gupta, who plays Nabomita, also shines. Ahsaas Channa and Shubham Gaur have fewer opportunities to shine this season than in previous seasons, but they both contribute.
The third season of Hostel Daze is about maturing rather than fitting in. The hostel is no longer an alien place to them. But the kids are starting to realise that the harsh realities of adulthood are right around the corner for them. They want to make the most of this particular point in time, which is what makes this show so relatable. It will transport you back to your college days, whether you lived in a dorm or not. Season 3 debuted on Amazon Prime Video in November.