Gullak Season 4 Review: The Mishra Family’s Heartwarming Comeback with a Touch of Maturity

As ‘Gullak’ returns for its fourth season, the challenge lies in balancing freshness while preserving its familiar charm. This season hints at the risk of becoming predictable for the first time.

Reconnecting with the endearing Mishra family – parents Santosh and Shanti, along with sons Annu and Aman – who proudly display their North Indian middle-class identity, feels like a refreshing sip of roohafza on a scorching summer day.

The essence of this TVF show, crafted and directed by Shreyansh Pandey, lies in its relatability. Their small joys and sorrows resonate with us, drawing on our own experiences or those of people we know. While simplicity is delightful, viewers now crave a touch of complexity to reflect the changing times.

In this season’s five 30-minute episodes, we delve into themes like dealing with illegal home extensions, the repercussions of chain-snatching on a family beyond the stolen jewelry, the art of being shrewd while upholding values, and the challenges of balancing desires with tradition.

Now that we’re all familiar with this gang and their nosy neighbor Bittu Ki Mummy, the writers don’t need to spend time inventing new quirks for them. We already know that Santosh feels uneasy slipping an envelope to a corrupt official, even though he works at the town’s electricity board where such shady dealings are common. Shanti, who totally owns her role, is deeply affected by losing her gold chain, not just for its value but for what it symbolizes in a middle-class setting. As we watch the boys grow up right before our eyes (remember, the first ‘Gullak’ season aired back in 2019, way before OTT platforms were a big deal), we see Annu diving into the world of sales as a medical rep, while Aman navigates teenage life with his newfound interests in girls, coffee shops, and, oh, those cheeky books. The show’s cautious step into more mature teenage themes, where issues like sex become real concerns for adolescents, signals a shift towards addressing these tricky topics. It seems like the show is finally ready to tackle these areas that were previously kept at arm’s length in the name of ‘family-friendly’ entertainment.

In many small towns up North, like the one where the Mishra family lives, it’s common for communities to stick to their own kind. But now, it seems like the Mishras might be ready to break out of that mold. With the possibility of showcasing a more diverse India, who knows what interesting combinations we might see? The hint at political undertones with a character being part of a coalition government is intriguing. Kudos to writer Vidit Tripathi for subtly pointing out that diving into X-rated material isn’t just a guy thing; it’s for everyone. The shift from familiarity to predictability is noticeable, but hey, we humans tend to resist big changes. Will the Mishras follow that trend?