Jugaadistan: A Campus Drama With Multiple Plot Points

Plot

Jugaadistan is a campus drama that delves into the dark world of an education scam in North India. The series revolves around the lives of students, teachers, agents, and activists of City University, a fictionalized version of Delhi University. The story covers a range of issues from campus romance and student politics to the examination scam, but with too many characters and subplots. The characters are drawn from people we have seen before in campus dramas, but it focuses on the stories of Ruhi Sada (Rukshar Dhillon), a geeky class topper who gets drawn into the life of easy money, and Gaurav Bhati (Sumeet Vyas), a student leader who is also a big bully.

Acting

The cast of Jugaadistan is a talented ensemble, but most actors are playing to type. Ahsaas Channa is again a student, Arjun Mathur is the man between a rock and a hard place, and Gopal Dutt is here for yet another lovable scoundrel act. Sumeet Vyas, who makes sure his student leader Gaurav Bhati, does not end up being a caricature, is the star of the show. The actors do well, but the abundance of storylines means we never get fully invested in any character's journey.

Cinematography

The campus feels authentic, but the cinematography fails to draw the viewer. The stakes are high, but we don't feel the characters' dilemma or the danger they are in. We don't feel alarmed at the deaths or angry at the betrayals, and the show fails to engage the viewers emotionally.

Direction

Directed by Akarsh Khurana and Adhaar Khurana, Jugaadistan features a good cast, but too many plot points bog down the pace of the narrative. The show hops genres far too often, and it feels like it's all over the place. The series would have benefitted from highlighting the exam scam as the central point of the narrative, as it forms only one of the many issues that plague the students.

Conclusion

Jugaadistan might appeal to a wider audience than any usual thriller or campus drama would have, but it fails to make a lasting impression. The series makes a telling comment on the state of journalism today, through the character played by Arjun Mathur, but it is not special enough to keep you on the edge. The charm of the student life filled with anxieties, opportunities, and possibilities is well depicted, and it's easy to relate to, leaving the series as a one-time watch.

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