Confession: I have not watched Girls Hostel Season 1. To be honest, I did not even know such a web series exists. But I came across its trailer, liked it, and decided to watch Season 2.
Should you watch Season 1 before watching Season 2? Not at all required. Girls Hostel 2.0 is an independent season, though people who have watched the first season may be able to connect the dots better, but for the ones who want to watch the new season first, you won’t miss out on much. Having said that, I am planning to watch Season 1 so when the third season comes out, I have all the parts of the story together.
Coming back to Girls Hostel Season 2.0, I loved the first episode. It was gripping but as the season progressed, the story had nothing new to serve its audience. On top of that, some of the lead actors were not the right choice to play the strong characters that they were. Or may be, it was all the director’s fault. Not just the grip on the story loosened but even the performances lacked luster. Speaking of performances, I cannot not mention 3 actors here who manages to stay true to their characters and also convince you to believe in their honesty:
- Richa played by Ahsaas Channa
- Mili played by Simran Natekar, and
- Aarav played by Gagan Arora
Where Ahsaas as Richa was not just convincing as well as relatable, Simran as Mili was super adorable. Her innocence makes you want to protect her. Gagan’s role was super short but he manages to impress with whatever screen time he has got. The last scene where Richa proposes him, you want the entire series to revolve around just two of them. It’s a very well performed scene. Apart from this particular scene, where Aarav questions Ramya Mantri during the debate, you want to throw Zahira Ali out of that podium and want Aarav to fight that election.
Speaking of 3 main characters around whom most of the series revolved: Zahira Ali (played by Parul Gulati), Jo (played by Shrishti Shrivastava), and Ramya Mantri (played by Shreya Mehta) – none of the actors suited the characters. Shreya Mehta as Ramya Mantri was still ok, she was good during some of the parts but Zahira Ali and Jo, the kind of characters that they were; the actors did not do justice to them.
We all have seen girls like Jo. They are something else. They are macho with the heart of a woman. It’s a lethal combination. Such woman are fierce. You adore them as well as you are scared of them. You can count on them yet you are afraid to approach them. Shrishti clearly doesn’t have that personality. Obviously, not every woman is macho. We all cannot carry that personality and hence such women are rare; 1 out of 10 may be.
I missed that overall personality package in Shrishti. When it comes to Parul Gulati, when a woman who fights for everyone’s rights participates in the election just so that she can make things right, her personality would be such that even though she is one of us, you admire her. For such a strong character, Parul looked weak. There are times when you feel that there are much better candidates out there who would do a better job as a President. For someone who is contesting against Ramya Mantri, Zahira Ali should have a been a strong-willed and a strong-minded personality, which she clearly was not. Parul Gulati’s personality did not absolutely match their character or its vibe.
Should you watch Girls Hostel 2.0? It’s a typical TVF show so it won’t make you want to turn it off before the show ends but it won’t even make you feel like you have watched something worthwhile.
Watch it or skip it, you ain’t losing anything.
Streaming On: SonyLIV
The Digital Popcorn 
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