PremiumLife Hill Gayi review: Divyenndu and Kusha Kapila's series stumbles on the slopes of comedy
Life Hill Gayi scales the heights of mediocrity, never quite reaching the summit of its potential.
Last Updated: 09.24 AM, Aug 09, 2024
In this tale of coming-of-age, three adults (Vinay Pathak, Divyenndu, and Kusha Kapila), accustomed to living life to the fullest, face their greatest fear: sharing a home. Their grandfather (Kabir Bedi) had challenged them to turn an abandoned property into a successful hotel so that they might prove themselves worthy of the family fortune. At the moment, they had no idea where to start. Along the way, the show delves into the mundane matters of family life as seen through the eyes of these remarkable individuals, showing that despite superficial differences in riches and vanity, fundamental emotions and love for one's family stay constant.
Throwing challenges to prove one's worth in gaining family inheritance has become an age-old plot for many stories about ultra-rich people. Threats, coercion to participate in "dosti ko rishtedaari mein badalna," or even the use of juvenile games for entertainment purposes can serve as challenges. ZEE5's series Kaun Banegi Shikharwati featured a similar storyline. Now, Disney+ Hotstar's latest outing, Life Hill Gayi, also brings the story of two siblings played by Divyenndu and Kusha Kapila, who, along with their father, played by Vinay Pathak, touch down in the hilly village of fictional Panchmoli, where their grandfather (Kabir Bedi) has a palatial heritage property.
To inherit from him, the siblings must demonstrate their worth, earning medals for each task they complete. In the end, whoever wins more medals will have their sole name in his will. Well, it's Olympics season; medals are in for anything and everything!
Life Hill Gayi makes a concerted effort to remain the most basic, offering nothing exceptional. Every episode of the sitcom introduces new subplots, culminating in a character commentary that emphasises the importance of family, much like in Modern Family.
However, in the process of just creating a series for an effect that they best know of, we do get a glimpse of the beautiful hilly and breezy region where there are leopards roaming, obvious ghost troubles, and simpletons who are street smart and can make a fool of the city people.
Divyenndu portrays Dev, while Kapila portrays Kalki, two impulsive, affluent siblings who share no emotional connection. There's not a single moment between these city-bred siblings where one will feel there's an emotional bond. The series seems to have forgotten that both characters could find common ground to work together after focussing on the task and their collaboration with other characters.
Every episode invites more trouble, but within 30 minutes of the runtime, they emerge as winners, and everything is fine in this so-called paradise. To inject lighter moments, the hotel employs a variety of supporting characters, all of whom are from nearby villages. The villagers, who range from the chef to the receptionist to the security-in-charge, manage everything, consistently demonstrating their lack of intelligence and occasional mistakes throughout the series. However, I can't recall a single instance where I found myself laughing.
To be honest, despite adopting a fresh start for the series, my initial expectations remained unfulfilled. Despite its marketing as a comedy, the series falls short in every aspect, including character development, sibling chemistry, and even the incorporation of humour. However, the win is only in the location they chose to shoot the series.
When it comes to his performances, Divyenndu is fresh from Madgaon Express, where he showcased his impeccable sense of humour. However, the six-episode series did not allow him to fully explore his potential, something we have witnessed and appreciated in the past. On the other hand, Kusha Kapila is a performer who seamlessly blends her real-life personality into the fictional world. Her social media content frequently exudes sarcasm, a trait she has also incorporated into her on-screen persona. Like many supporting characters, her sarcasm often left me wondering if she was serious or simply mocking them. Well, that's her forte!
Prem Mistry is the series' director, known for his work on Campus Diaries. Shakir Ali, Jasmeet Singh Bhatia, Suprith Kundar, and Akshendra Mishra collaborated with the filmmaker. However, the ensemble also failed to bring a single joyful moment to the series during its viewing. I wonder if it looked tasty on paper!
Life Hill Gayi struggles to find its footing, offering more hills than thrills. The cast can't quite lift the show out of its predictable valleys, and the humour often gets lost in the fog.