Gullak season 5 review: The familiar warm hug is losing its magic

Gullak is one of those feel-good shows that make you smile, connect with you, and feel like home if you come from that strata of the middle class where conversations start from the bedroom, move to the verandah, then to the kitchen, no matter how silly the conversation is. Season five of the show is out, and it takes the audience back into a world which many call nostalgia, but it's the simple living of an Indian household.

Season 5 returns to the same Mishra family, who are up to date with the times, but still very detached. They have a Wi-Fi connection, YouTube vlogs and a camera, which has become a constant thing. But did it continue to entertain with the same sweetness and innocence that has been the USP of the show? However, this season misses that.

Gullak season 5 is out! What the show is about this time

Created by TVF, the dramedy is one of the most favourite shows on the OTT platform. In this season, the audience is back in the House of Mishras, where they are again dealing with a lot of changes. First, they have installed WiFi, and the first discussion they have is a debate over the paint done in the house.

Still from Gullak Photograph: (Sony Liv)

Both sons, Annu and Aman Mishra, (Anant Vijay Joshi and Harsh Mayar),have grown up and are silently living their own lives, doing their stuff and hiding things from their parents, Shanti (Geetanjali Kulkarni) and Santosh (Jameel Khan), who are noticing things but not pointing them out. The nosy neighbour, Bittu Ki Mummy (Sunita Rajwar), is also back. But this time, apart from indulging in the lives of her neighbours, her favourite job, she has something else to focus on - her YouTube vlog, where she has become a new content creator and is using her platform for women's empowerment, as per her. While they have their own challenges, the new house, the paint, the neighbour, the boys, with Annu, who is an MR and is doing fine at his job, meanwhile, Aman, who is off to college in a different city, has also found his interest in astrology and is doing it with all his focus.

Still from Gullak Photograph: (Sony Liv)

Gullak: That warm hug doesn't warm anymore

Released in 2019, Gullak became an emotion, more than just a show. Season five of the show returns with the same chaos and sweetness of the Mishra family, but this time, it doesn't hit the same mark with the content presented. With OTT, it has become a thing that one show, which has garnered cult status, has to be remade again and again. Despite its need or not. Every show has its own run, of course, and Gullak seems to have reached that now.

Promoted with the line that it comes with new dreams and new responsibilities, the mature side of the family takes central stage this time as they handle all the things together, as they continue to hide things also. But this time, the magic is missing, and that connection is off. What came off naturally so far feels forced now.

Narrated by Gullak (the piggy bank), the seven episodes each have their own conundrum. In the first four seasons, they pick up moments from their daily chaos, that make the audience feel it. This time, apart from household things, they are picking up points from the outside world, which is not bad at all, but it doen't fit with the world that we are used to watching.

The dialogues and a few scenes, especially the habitual moments between Shanti and Shantosh, are enjoyable. The addition of Annu bhaiya's slight romance, which felt unnecessary.

But as the show goes on, some of that charm starts to fade. The stories feel like they’re trying too hard to teach a lesson. The emotional bits sometimes come off like they are chasing nostalgia instead of just letting it happen.

Still from Gullak Photograph: (Sony Liv)

Love and hate relationship

The constant part of the show that continues to impress is the little fun moments, and the life lessons it teaches. But what makes the show connect is the environment, the set, and how everything carries, which is still intact and works well. Also, the short episode timing works in its favour. The thing with Gullak is that it's the show you love, with characters that feel like home. So, despite how slow and tired everything feels, you will watch it.

Still from Gullak Photograph: (Sony Liv)

Top-notch performance

The strongest part of this season, which loses its grip all the time, is the performance of the fantastic actors. Although I missed Vaibhav Raj Gupta as Annu and his way of saying "Aapko nahin pata?." But. Anant Vijay Joshi is the perfect replacement. It doesn't affect much. Harsh Mayar, Sunita, Jameel Khan, and Geetanjali Kulkarni again give their best performances and bring that rawness and honesty the show is known for.

Gullak was known for its comfort, but now with it, tiredness and jadedness come along. That makes you yawn, pause, and rewatch it.