Love and longing

Monday to Thursday, 9 pm

Rating

What8217;s it about? Life in Excel College, throbbing with teenage energy and charm. Since love rules the heart and mind at this stage of life, the storyline is replete with crushes, flirting, heartbreak and longings.

Who is in it? In this fictional hippest college of Mumbai, Diya sashays down the corridor showing off her diva-like persona. This is enhanced by the constant presence of loyal Annie, who idolises Diya, and stupid Chacko Doesn8217;t this just remind you of Kareena Kapoor as Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham? Only sour point is lanky Diya lacks any of Kareena8217;s attitude and oomph. Diya is shocked when her small-town cousins8212;shy and intelligent Gunjan and full of life Nupur8212;from Morena come to Mumbai. Diya8217;s eyes are set on cool and stylish Samrat, who wins hearts as well as basketball matches. Though he is often caught flirting with Diya, Samrat is still waiting for that special girl. Samrat faces stiff competition from intelligent Mayank when it comes to wooing girls.

What8217;s hot? The title song of the sitcom, meant to draw young audience, has a peppy feel. It manages to build up the mood with all the major characters making appearances in it. It offers the promise of a nice candy-floss drama unfolding in a Riverdale kind of setup. Though the starting episodes have not quite kept that promise, it remains to be seen whether the characters and scriptwriters pull up their socks to deliver a TRP-booster.

What8217;s not? The storyline, a mish-mash of a number of teeny-bopper lover stories and college romances, desperately needs some freshness and original ideas. That8217;s what had worked for Remix, a series set in a school, which was aired by the same channel a few years ago, or the hugely popular Hip Hip Hurray. Being little more careful while deciding the getup of the characters can also help. We also don8217;t mind emphasis on acting than wearing off-shoulder dresses or tight salwar-kameez. And please, those cheerleaders and convertibles don8217;t belong to a Mumbai campus. Will someone also tell Nupur that Mumbai is not the city where people come to meet the man of their dreams.

Should you be watching it? Yes, if you are the kind who clings on to college memories as if it8217;s the biggest solitaire in your jewellery box. So recommend to the tribe who love to see repeats and rip-offs of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.