School of Lies season 1 review: Nimrat Kaur’s show unveils lies till you feel uneasy in the gut

3.5/5

Story:

Shakti Salgaonkar has gone missing from school. Everybody involved in his life is searching for him. The real question is, are everyone as involved in the process?

Review:

School of Lies is not for the weak-hearted. The first scene in the show establishes that pretty well.

This series goes on to show you the elitist culture and Varin Roopani gets briefly introduced through the moment as Vikram. He is a huge surprise in the series. That surprise unfolds slowly (after episode 3).

School of Lies has some underlying messages which slowly become clear as day. One of them is, there could come a day when chicken eats its own egg (which once had his baby, a chick).

The story develops slowly but after the first episode, you never want to divert your attention from the show. You just know that every episode has something new to offer, new to reveal and that keeps you going through the eight episodes of the show.

The second episode ends on a high. The cinematography in the last scene works wonders and makes you want to binge watch the series to understand what exactly is it all about.

The events that lead to the main disappearance become clear but slowly. While there appears to be something at the surface, one has to dig deep in order to understand what exactly is happening here and this show helps you gather those rocks that helped build a huge mountain (here, the school).

The story also manages to show the society's divide in class and their survival skills. While a rich boy survives on earning money in any way possible, the poor man extorts them and throws that money away to reunite with his family. Of course, there’s a lot more going on than just that, which gets unveiled as you dig deeper in the show.

The series takes a dark turn. Episode 7 leaves you shocked and confused because all that you see in the series till that time, is a lie. And this is the second last episode of the show. So, the makers take you on a ride and then, they tell you that you were watching the series in 360 degrees while things were 180 degrees.

The music in the show never gets overboard. It creates just the right amount of drama needed in the scenes.

How the makers have tapped into two different emotions with those associated with Shakti, really works. Both the sides have guilt but for different reasons. The only thing that binds them together is the school.

The mystery behind why the school is the way it is, remains a mystery till the very end. A few details are unveiled but much is left in the air. Hopefully, season 2 would touch upon them.

In the role of Shakti Salgaonkar, Vir Pachisia does a fair job. He is one of the most powerful characters on the show, for his age. Each moment with him reflects upon his different traits.

Aryan Singh Ahlwalat as TK is a constant from the very start. He is a solid person and an even better friend. Aryan can manage to convince you with very little effort that he is the perfect fit for the character.

Parthiv Shetty as Murli Srinivasan is just as constant. He and TK are like two sides of the same coin. Parthiv, too, can just give you that concerned face and convince you about his character.

Nitin Goel in the role of Bhola gets your head spinning. He can nail a concerned father and an arrogant hoodlum all in one. One of the most important scenes featuring him and Shakti will surely leave you with a scar.

Aamir Bashir appears as a proud dad-like figure. He nails his first scene as Sam sir. In fact, his whole character graph is the best in the series. His first and last scene, in that sense, are a drastic switch.

Nimrat Kaur as Nandita is one of the first characters to appear. Her story initially seems to be out of link but slowly, the dots connect. She doesn't get as much screen space to tell her story but there’s still a lot of hope, since the second season of the show is expected.

The actress plays an important role, nonetheless. In fact, her character is handled with sensitivity. Despite being someone with morals, she has demons of her own and being a psychologist, this one is sometimes more human than necessary. The scenes proving so work very well with Nimrat as an actor.

Sonali Kulkarni is fab in her brief role as Vikram's mother, Pallavi. Her range of emotions work really well when it comes to her character. There are also scenes where she can give a glance and you understand what exactly she wants to convey. That proves just how well an actor she is.

For her, being a mother comes above everything but you see her struggle to balance between being a mother and a human in way too many scenes. That balance is tough to achieve but she manages that with finesse.

Jitendra Joshi as Shakti's father is one with a varied graph. He keeps the mystery alive with his dialogue delivery and comes a full circle with his last scene in the season. His breakdown scene works well too.

Aalekh Kapoor, in the role of Adil, has a briefer role in comparison but he manages to hold it well nonetheless. Unfortunately, owing to his less screen space, there wasn’t much he could contribute to the show.

Mohan Kapur plays a special role in the series. He tries to portray a powerful character but the mystery doesn't let him tap into his full potential. He can create a deathscare even in this series and stay absolutely pokerfaced through it all. That makes him a fine actor here too.

Shakti Anand makes a cameo appearance. Even though he has little to contribute to the show, the actor promises to play an important role in unveiling something more.

There’s a scene in the show with Sonali and Nimrat. It comes at an interesting moment and is one of the most intriguing scenes in the series, for you constantly wonder who will spill what, if they do.

The scene near the end of the show helps you connect the dots which you couldn't even see for so long. It is not even a human experience anymore.

The cliffhanger ending of this show ensures that there is a second season. Too many questions are raised and too many answers left to be answered with this one. This season, even without all the answers, works its magic.

Verdict:

Avinash Arun Dhaware and Ishani Banerjee's vision comes alive through the show. It is not what and how you expect School of Lies, which is what makes the series so binge-watch worthy. The show makes you digest a lot till your gut starts to hurt. Thus, it is not for the weak-hearted. However, our advice is – Do not miss this one!