Gullak Season Review: Evolution, Struggles, and the Middle-Class Reality
Gullak is back. Season five finally landed, almost two years after the last one. It’s that kind of thing, you know? A show that built up this whole cult following over the years, just because it felt real. Simple stuff. Middle-class life. You see it everywhere.
This time around, they put the Mishra family — Mishra Niwas 534 —right in the middle of everything. They’re trying to deal with modernization, pushing against it, but still clinging to whatever they thought was right.
Annu, played by Anantvijay Joshi, he’s wrestling with the adult mess. Should he keep that toxic job? Should he just jump? It’s that kind of internal debate that sticks with you.
And then there’s Aman. He just scrambles for money, getting into some messy situations. It’s the desperation of it all.
Santosh, the patriarch, he’s under real financial strain. He’s applying for a loan, hesitating, not wanting to lean on his own son. That tension, that hesitation, it’s there.
Shanti, she’s fighting something else entirely. Her sense of self, it’s getting chipped away. And you see it most clearly when Bittu Ki Mummy starts throwing shade. After all that talk about women’s empowerment, that group they started, Sakhi Shalini Mahila Mandal—it just feels like the jabs are getting sharper, more pointed.
The whole thing keeps circling back to that big question, doesn't it? Can you move forward without throwing away everything you know?
The storytelling itself is still gentle. It’s full of those everyday fights, the quiet family moments that used to give you that warm feeling. That familiarity, it’s comforting, sure. It brings back those old memories. But that’s also where the problem starts.
Promos suggested big shifts. Adaptation to the fast world. But what actually happens in the episodes? It’s still that slow, understated pace. You spend time on things that feel small—painting a wall, a toothache, the weirdness of fake paneer. It captures the middle-class reality, definitely. But it doesn't feel like the evolution they were hinting at. It just feels… stuck.
Look at the performances, though. That’s where things get interesting.
Anantvijay Joshi did fine as Annu. He carried the ambition, the doubt, the sincerity. Solid.
But Geetanjali Kulkarni. She really stood out. There was this quiet strength there. An emotional depth. And those scenes where she dealt with the slyness from Bittu Ki Mummy? That felt honest. Moving.
Jameel Khan, Santosh. He was the anchor. Principled, under immense pressure. He held it together.
Then there’s Harsh Mayar as Aman. He had this energy, kind of childish, maybe a little dated for where he is now. It fit the nostalgic vibe, I guess.
And then you have the supporting cast. Pinky Mama, Gopal Dutt, he brings this manic, over-the-top energy. It’s meant to add spice, but honestly, it often felt forced against the show’s soft tone. Unnecessary.
Bittu Ki Mummy, she’s just antagonistic. It feels like her whole arc was designed to push Shanti around, making her struggle more visible. It’s less character development and more just friction.
And Helly Shah as Dr. Priti Singh? She gets very little room to breathe, very limited material to work with.
The real snag, the biggest letdown, is the ending. It just wraps up. Too neatly. For a show that built its whole identity on these slow, honest struggles. After watching everyone deal with these gradual, small-scale messes over a whole season, the resolution felt rushed. Unsatisfying. It just closed the door too quickly.
Still, you can watch it. It’s easy. It’s comforting. It avoids all the loud drama and the fleeting trends that seem to dominate everything else right now. If you loved the earlier seasons for that grounded feel, you’ll find some genuine warmth and charm here. It stays true to what Gullak is. It just doesn’t evolve the way people were promised. That’s the thing.
Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board
Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.
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