The fifth season of SonyLIV's Gullak beautifully captures the evolving face of India's middle class, reflecting on the shift from simple compromises to modern comforts. The Mishra household navigates a slow transition into modernity, with fresh paint, high-speed WiFi, and contemporary appliances upgrading their daily routines. The performances remain the show's biggest strength, with Geetanjali Kulkarni and Jameel Khan delivering magnificent performances as Shanti and Santosh Mishra.
The new season opens with subtle upgrades inside the Mishra home, visually capturing the core theme of time's relentless march. Each member of the household navigates their own private, independent battles, with Santosh confronting the harsh realities of aging and limited career mobility. Shanti demands to be seen as more than just a homemaker, standing up against outsiders who try to reduce her identity to her chores.
The children face their own modern crossroads, with Annu grappling with the exhausting grind and financial anxieties of corporate adulthood, and Aman launching a quirky online astrology venture to escape his older brother's shadow. The season anchors its storytelling in the familiar rhythms of middle-class Indian life, where the narrative flows naturally between the headaches of modern external life and personal milestones.
The performances remain the show's biggest strength, with Geetanjali Kulkarni, Jameel Khan, and Harsh Mayar delivering magnificent performances. The family dynamic is delightfully disrupted by Sunita Rajwar and Gopal Dutt, who consistently steal scenes with their flawless comic timing. The biggest talking point of this new chapter is the highly risky recasting of the eldest son, Annu Mishra, with Anant V Joshi stepping into the role.
Verdict: Gullak delivers a comforting reminder that no matter how high you climb, you never truly lose the roots that shaped you. The latest season wisely avoids changing its core identity, even if it plays it safe.
