Gutar Gu review: Ashlesha Thaakur and Vishesh Bansal are undoubtedly at their best in Guneet Monga's coming-of-age romantic drama

3.5/5

Story: Amazon miniTV's Gutar Gu is the latest coming-of-age romantic drama, produced by the Oscar-winning filmmaker Guneet Monga with Achin Jain. Created and directed by Saqib Pandor, the Ashlesha Thaakur and Vishesh Bansal-starring series follows the love story of two teenagers who try to navigate their newfound feelings and young love according to their age and understanding. What comes next is surprising and pleasing!

Review: Gutar Gu begins by introducing Ashlesa's Ritu as a new resident in Bhopal, who has been shifted to this small town from Gurgaon. She is a high school student who takes lessons at a coaching centre. One fine day, she notices a boy in his class due to his courage to speak in front of the teacher when no one dares to do that, and that's why she approaches him for friendship.

Ashlesha, who rose to fame with The Family Man, seems completely opposite in Gutar Gu from what she plays in the Manoj Bajpayee starrer. Her character, Ritu, is one of the calmest, most mature, and most understanding people. On the other hand, Vishesh has been seen as a small-town boy who wins over this girl with his innocence and conformity. 

The Yeh Meri Family and Asur famed-actor might appear to have been typecast as a small-town teenage boy again; however, it works incredibly well for him in Guneet Monga's show. 

Like every other teenage boy in a relationship, Anuj experiences a lot of things for the first time, such as holding his girlfriend's hand, getting a cute peck on the cheek, exchanging gifts, going on small panipuri dates, and more. After the lovey-dovey sequences, comes the part where both delve into a huge argument that sets them apart for a few days; however, soon after that, they realise that it was a stupid fight.

Gutar Gu has all the elements that are required in a coming-of-age romantic drama set in the backdrop of a small town, such as Anuj's friends, who keep him company anywhere and in any situation. Either it's about fighting with someone or going on a date for the first time. 

At one point, the latest series reminds me of the show Mismatched and makes me notice how a few small but important details have been missing in the Netflix show, which Gutar Gu showcases beautifully. One of those elements is the cultural shift. It displays how a big city girl tries to understand and accept the new lifestyle in a small town, while it also gives a glimpse of how pleasantly surprising yet scary it can be for a small-town teenage boy to get approached by a girl and even be accepted by the latter's father, which can never be taken with such maturity by his own parents.

All the characters are aptly placed around the two protagonists, and all the supporting actors perform their roles naturally. Meanwhile, despite being so young in acting, Ashlesha Thaakur and Vishesh Bansal are undoubtedly at their best.

The climax of this six-episode series hints at another part of the show, and it is definitely intriguing to see what happens next in Ritu and Anuj's lives.

Verdict: Director and creator Saqib Pandor has executed the show perfectly with nothing less, nothing more, and just an apt amount of drama, confusion, love, and friendship that happens in the life of any teenager. Gutar Gu makes for a perfect watch to share with your partner, friends, and even family.