Every startup and every individual dreaming of starting a startup should watch Upstarts. This film will dictate the terms for you. It will guide you about the DOs and DON’Ts of a startup.
As I had expected it to be all about the struggles of a startup, it was not about that. But yes, the struggle was a significant part of it. We can say that the struggle story laid the foundation on which the startup, Carry Karo stood firmly later on.
At some point, I thought it’s similar to Badmaash Company where friends come together and start a firm and then part ways due to clashes. But Upstarts is much more than that. It is about coming together, breaking up of friends, and then, their reunion – as friends or as business partners, that is something you need to watch Upstarts for.
The story has been presented well. People who are dreaming of startups can watch this film to understand what the journey looks like. It’s not all about money. In fact, it should never be. The struggle is real and it may last even forever. The success stories make the startup culture look glamorous but it’s not always going to be hunky-dory.
This is what I loved the most about Upstarts – the way the makers have managed to show all the sides of a startup: the strugglers and the achievers; the successes and the failures; the believers and the non-believers. If you are among the startup crowd, you will find yourself relating to at least one character.
Everyone’s performances were to the mark. I would still like to specially mention two people here: Chandrachoor Rai (Yash) and Sheetal Thakur.
Chandrachoor Rai’s alcoholism, fear, frustration, passion, and depression – you believe in everything he wants you to believe in. You feel his pain and when the character faces a problem, you won’t be able to stop yourself from saying, ‘Oh no, not him. Problems, please choose someone else,’ especially when he goes for a job interview and is being put into the freshers team. The suicide scene gives you a mini heart-attack. The next scene where he curses his friends for not being with him when he needed them the most was #FriendshipGoals. You could feel his pain.
Talking about Sheetal Thakur, I wanted to see more of her. I wanted to see her struggle. I wanted to know her story. I wanted to see her grow and succeed. That’s not a complaint. That’s a compliment. You would want more of her. Her character was well-crafted. And she has done a fabulous job. To not overdo anything, to subtly do your job, to silently support the story and yet stand-out is a difficult job. I hope she gets more great roles in the future.
The only thing I didn’t like was its speed. Most of the things are left for you to understand or assume. There are scenes where you feel that you missed out something (but you have not). The makers did not find it necessary to get into the details at most of the places. A little detailed job would have added depth to the story.
Where to Watch? Netflix