The Viral Fever, popularly known as TVF, has been one of the pioneers in the Indian web series scene. They came up with several shows at a time when digital media didn’t have much importance. One of their much-loved shows was Tripling.
First aired in 2016, the five episodes long show revolved around three siblings, Chandan, Chanchal, and Chitvan played by Sumeet Vyas, Maanvi Gagroo, and Amol Parashar, respectively. A sequel was promised which aired on 5th April 2019.
With the show returning after a span of two and a half years, the audience had huge expectations. The main characters remain unchanged but there have been significant alterations in their lives since the last time they met. Chandan has authored a book titled Tripling which takes readers through the journey of the siblings’ last road trip. Chitvan has left DJing at clubs and is now a stay at home dad who takes care of his lawyer girlfriend’s child. Chanchal has joined politics and become an MLA from their constituency.
The bestselling book by Chandan is being made into a film which is already amidst a few controversies. He meets Chitvan and Cheetah (his son) at the shoot and decides to go to their place. Unlike the last time, this road trip is planned. In Chandan’s words, “We’ll bond!” is the reason why he convinces Chitvan to accompany him to Jaipur for a literature fest. They meet Chanchal there in unfavourable as well as unexpected circumstances. Due to some mildly foreseen happenings, they flee the city on yet another road trip.
Their journey starts off from Delhi and touches Jaipur, Lucknow, and Kolkata before a final halt in Gangtok. They meet a few interesting characters on the way that take the story forward. Nidhi Bisht plays Chanchal’s cunning Bhabhi sa who doesn’t leave an opportunity to hit on Chandan. They meet Prince Alexander, played by Gajraj Rao, in Lucknow. He lives in a hundred-year-old ancestral house but falters at impressing with his weird antics. His wife Zainab is a young, somber girl played to perfection by Shweta Tripathi. Leaving the City of Nawabs, they reach Kolkata where they meet Satyen Bisht, played by Rajit Kapoor, a private investigator who still lives in a bygone era. Even though portrayed as a Bengali, his accent comes off as fake. Lastly, comes Pranav(Kunal Roy Kapoor), Chanchal’s husband. He has a minor role this time but is convincing nevertheless.
The show runs on reminiscence of the siblings’ last meet and nostalgia of their childhood. With less shots of the road and more of their shenanigans in the different cities, some feel is lost. The trio manages to entertain us but much of their bonding is missing in the depiction. Their parents appear fleetingly as they take an exotic cruise. Chitvan’s iconic line, “Baba, you’re beautiful!” seems a bit overused. Some might not like the pace of the episodes but it compensates with its content.
Written by Sumeet Vyas and Akarsh Khurana, and created by Sameer Saxena, Tripling manages to make you laugh.
