One of the most awaited series is here.

Kota Factory 2 directed by Raghav Subbu starring Jitendra Kumar, Mayur More, Ranjan Raj, Alam Khan, Ahsaas Channa, Revathi Pillai, Urvi Singh, is here to pave its way in the heart of the audience.

Sequels always have more expectations. Blockbuster films and series too have not so popular sequels. In general, makers have been able to present magnificent stories in the first season. The second season falls flat.

Season 2 of Kota factory doesn’t fall in that category. At the same time, it doesn’t elevate the series.

Director Subbu on season 2

Kota Factory director Raghav Subbu says it was “intimidating” to take on the second season of the web series after its first chapter received a favorable response from the audience.

“Going by season one’s response, it was intimidating to jump into season two because you automatically feel the need to not ape or mimic what worked in season one. As a director, I was looking to see that this show progresses organically into what it was supposed to be and not what it should be,” Subbu told PTI in a Zoom interview.

“I believe that expectation is the biggest killer and you can never meet it. I’ll keep trying for the rest of my life but I can never say that I have my finger on this craft. And I think the day you say that I know everything is the day you die,” he added.

The director said he had absolute clarity about one thing — that he can never fully meet the expectations of the audience.

The show aims to show “beauty in the ordinary”, he said.

“Things that people liked about Kota Factory season one was not just the fact that it’s somebody going to a city and just giving an exam, wanting to go make it to the IIT. There were so many things that we highlighted with the show, like the theme of loneliness.”

Subbu said life in the town of Kota is slow, which is also the reason why Kota Factory has a slow pace of storytelling.

“The show is slow because life in Kota is slower than in other urban cities. So it”s a slow town. Kids study there all the time and it”s just about ambition. We are trying to bring that soul into the show.”

 When asked about the monochrome setting of the show, Subbu said people generally have this notion that a monochrome background means the work of art is either a period drama or has darker elements in it.

But he has tried to present something entirely different and unique with “Kota Factory”, he promised.

“The point of art is to question things. I wanted to do a spin on something that is so set in stone. (The general idea is) it’s either like a Sin City, which has a very graphic novel kind of feel, or a period piece like The Artist.

“We have these associations that we have in our head when it comes to everything. As a director and as a creator, I want to challenge those things.”

Plot

Kota Factory 2 starts from where the first season ended. Vaibhav, Meena, Uday, Vartika, and Meenal are back to their classes with the aspiration of getting the IIT. On the contrary, Jeetu Sir has left the Prodigy classes. He has the intention of opening his own academy.

Season 2 follows the similar monochrome theme of its predecessor. The show engages the audience by taking them deeper into the life of the characters.

Vaibhav, Meena, and Jeetu sir are in the limelight of the show. There are certain eccentric details that give out the identity of the character even better. Giving it some nostalgic value.

The episode starts at a bracing pace. Slow down mid-way through the season. Yet the actors pulled it off amazingly. The actors are a talented bunch of kids, striving hard to stay invested and keep the proceedings going.

Review

It severely lacks the urgency, the wicked humor, and the heartfelt bonds that made the first season so captivating.

The plot as before requires close attention. There is so little happening between the lines. That you wonder what happened.

All told and done, Kota Factory 2 is watchable but the spirit is lost.

Produced by The Viral Fever (TVF), Kota Factory 2 is steaming on Netflix.