Review: Bench Life - Neat and Entertaining

 

Web Series: Bench Life
Rating: 3/5

Cast: Vaibhav, Charan Peri, Ritika Singh, Aakanksha Singh, Rajendra Prasad, Nayan Sarika, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Tulasi, Tanikella Bharani and others

Director: Manasa Sharma

Produced By: Niharika Konidela

Streaming on: Sony LIV

Story:

Bench Life follows the journey of Balu (Vaibhav), Meenakshi (Ritika Singh), and Ravi (Charan Peri), three software professionals employed at Apcoh Tech in Hyderabad, each seeking to be placed on the company’s ‘bench’ for their own reasons. Isha (Aakanksha Singh) works as a manager and has a bad past with her father, Prasad Vassishta (Rajendra Prasad), who joins the team as a domain expert. Why do Balu, Meenakshi, and Ravi want to be placed on the Bench? Why is Isha reluctant to show love to Prasad? The answers to these questions form the remaining story.

Performances:

Vaibhav gave an impressive performance as Balu. He single-handedly carried the entire series on his shoulders with his perfect comic timing and dialogue delivery.  Charan Peri was good and provided the required humor effects along with emotions. Ritika Singh was neat, while Aakanksha Singh was good. Rajendra Prasad, Nayan Sarika, Venkatesh Kakumanu, Tulasi, and Tanikella Bharani did perfect justice to their characters.

What worked for the Series:

Manasa Sharma, the director of Bench Life, picked up a relatable story. The plus points of the series are nicely set up characters and well-worked entertainment. The lead trio and their goals and software office backdrop were perfectly established. The emotional parts were also handled well, giving an excellent balance to the story. Balu's journey starts funnily and has a good and meaningful ending. Meenakshi's efforts to prove her talent were also shown well. Ravi and his family track appear regular, but still, the crucial scenes in his thread worked well. The last episode works as a perfect finale where all the characters' arc gets completed, providing a heartwarming feel.

What did not work for the Series:

The director, Manasa, could have concentrated more on the emotional angle of the series. The track between Meenakshi and her mother could have been handled much better and it gives the feeling of a midway start. Also, the moment were frustration of Ravi comes out looks rushed. Apart from these points, the series also suffers from some predictable traits of the genre. 

Bench Life Review and Verdict:

Bench Life is a neat comedy-drama enhanced by the impressive performances of Vaibhav, Ritika Singh, Charan Peri, Akanksha Singh, and Rajendra Prasad. The series' fun and emotional parts are well balanced, while it could have concentrated on a few crucial characters/tracks.