Project: Clutch (Dice Media)
Lead Cast: Vishal Vashishtha (Arun), Tirth Joisher (Adil), Ahsaas Channa (Prachi), Saurabh Ghadge (Jeetu), Pratiek Pachori (Raunak)
Direction: Ruchir Arun & Manuja Tyagi
Ratings: 3.5 stars
“Innovation is where imagination meets ambition”. A very popular saying and in every aspect, true as well. There’s no growth in any sphere of life till one makes the bold call of moving away from his or her comfort zone as more than often than not, the brave call becomes the stepping stone for lovely things in the future. Ever since the evolution of mankind, we have seen significant growth in every aspect. To talk about gaming, who would have thought from an era where only outdoor forms of sports would be popular courtesy of global tournaments like Olympics, we would reach a stage in the future where ‘virtual reality’ becomes the new cool and one can literally make a profession out of online gaming?
Well, that’s exactly what the concept of Esports is all about. Although still alien as a concept for the majority of Indians, it is a trend certainly on the rise with a bright prospect. It is this subject of Esports that director Ruchir Arun selects in Dice Media’s web series ‘Clutch’ to give us an important life lesson.
The primary focus of Clutch is around Arun (Vishal Vasishtha) who is leading a miserable life as he feels overburdened with the work pressure of a soul-crushing corporate job. During his adolescence and teenage days, he had discovered his passion for life, which was to make a profession out of online gaming. However, his dreams and ambitions had to take a backseat since his father completely rebuffed the idea.
After being in the rat race of a professional corporate career for years, Arun finally feels that he has had enough and it is now time to chase his dreams so as to not have any regret in the later stages of his life. His decision becomes all the way more firm after he gets ‘inspired’ by the constant pestering and support from his young, teenage ‘dost’ aka Adil (Tirth Joisher). Realizing the opportunity to finally defeat all odds and win his dream once again, a motivated Arun quits his job to build an Esports team of his own with just one target in life, winning the Upcoming World Gaming Championship.
As expected in a light-hearted and fun motivational success tale, his team consists of some interesting characters from all walks of life, each having their own difficulties and challenges to overcome. The first and youngest member of his team is Adil, a typical teenager gamer addict who always believes in taking a ‘chill pill’ when not playing. Prachi (Ahsaas Channa) enters the world of Esports and Arun’s team as a former badminton player who’s currently recovering from injury and hence gaming isn’t the most important thing in her life. Jeetu (Saurabh Ghadge) is a poor and humble delivery boy with an undiscovered passion for gaming. Last but certainly not least, we have Raunak (Pratiek Pachori) who’s perhaps the most experienced of the lot. However, he has a few more things to learn before he becomes a ‘team-man’, a quality very important to win any game or tournament that involves multiple people together. Together, these four come under the able leadership and guidance of Arun with one common goal which is to win the Esports championship. But hey, will this squad which is pretty much about ‘unity in diversity’ be able to win it for each other, or are we expecting a bit too much too soon? No spoilers allowed further.
What We Liked: Without any iota of doubt, what stands out the most in ‘Clutch’ is the uniqueness of the subject. Given the fact that Esports, as a genre, hasn’t been explored much in the Indian scenario, the freshness of the subject will certainly appeal to everyone, especially professional gamers. As far as others who have nothing to do with gaming, stay rest assured as you will learn some interesting and positive aspects about Esports that has a bright future in the country. The ebb and flow factor associated with the narrative is what will keep the audience glued to the screen with this one. Director Ruchir does a fine job in getting actors and content creators from different spheres of life to pack a punch together.
What Could Have Been Better: Given the fact that the series wraps up in just 5 episodes, we feel that the actors didn’t get enough room to showcase their true potential and acting chops. With Vishal Vasishtha being the main lead, it is quite natural that the majority of the spotlight was on him. Although he does a good job within the limitations, it can’t be called ‘pathbreaking’ as well.
Overall, Clutch is an enjoyable binge-worthy watch that teaches you the importance of teamwork in any environment. Special kudos to the makers for being one of the first to attempt an ‘unexplored arena’ like Esports. The series tells us a fair bit about the fact that no age is literally ‘old’ enough to start afresh and try achieving your desired goal in life. Watch it to have an enjoyable experience and you will not regret it.
3.5/5 stars