Abhilash Thapliyal, who stars in the web series Aspirants, says if the content is good appreciation follows

Sheetal

It’s not a normal race. It’s marathon… If you do not succeed in the first, second, third or fourth attempts, palat ke dekhoge zindagi ke kai saal gayab, self-confidence zameen ke neeche ghusa hua hota hai’… Says Shvet Ketu aka SK, played by actor Abhilash Thapliyal, to sum up the complexity of the IAS examination in the web series by TVF (The Viral Fever) titled Aspirants.

Truly the story of a tortoise from old Rajinder Nagar, the hub of IAS aspirants, it is full of hopes, emotions and broken dreams. The story is about three friends, Abhilash (Naveen Kasturia), Guri (Shivankit Singh Parihar) and SK (Abhilash Thapliyal), who have just one aim - to clear the IAS exam. The show has crossed 9.7 million views and counting!

Gaining ground

For Abhilash Thapliyal, whom we have seen in different avatars, playing SK was challenging. He says, “SK is very different from who I am and how I am. I am this hyper-energetic guy, but SK is calm, composed and sensible. Also the transition in his character, from a 21-year-old boy to 34-year-old man, who has seen his share of failures, was difficult to portray. The accent too had to be learnt for he comes from Bihar.”

About the response Abhilash adds, “The beautiful thing is when people are able to pick the nuances of the characters you have played. To be put in the same bracket of actors they look up to is overwhelming because I am not even close to Pankaj Tripathi or Manoj Bajpayee or Kay Kay Menon.” In fact, Abhilash went through a series of auditions to become SK. So, will there be a sequel? The actor says, “It is justified only if there’s a logical script and rational extension to it. But right now, I just want to enjoy all the appreciation and love our project has got.”

Aspirants’ appreciation

The series has been shot in the nooks and corners of Rajinder Nagar, where many IAS aspirants lived. Ludhiana-born Chandan Singh, who has taken coaching from the same place, and is appearing in the exam this year, says while the first episode of Aspirants was relatable the second was motivational. “The series is doing the rounds in every IAS group there is and memes on the three protagonists are being shared too. Which is contrary to the rules of the groups, as we only use them for study purpose,” says another IAS aspirant, Pulkit Sharma, from Panchkula

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