**13th Review: A Promising Premise That Falls Short**
*By Isha Sharma | Oct 01, 2025, 12:02 AM*
**What’s the story?**
*13th*, streaming on SonyLIV, is produced by Abhishek Dhandharia, who also serves as the showrunner. Created and written by Sameer Mishra, and directed by Nishil Sheth, the show instantly brings to mind The Viral Fever (TVF) projects due to its rawness and theme. However, the similarities end there. Despite an interesting premise inspired by the life of Competishun founder Mohit Tyagi, the series never quite takes off.
**Plot: A student helps his teacher realize his dream**
The narrative follows Ritesh (Paresh Pahuja), a rising venture capitalist who quits his lucrative job to assist his mentor, MT Sir (Gagan Dev Riar). MT Sir taught Ritesh during his “13th year”—the gap year after 12th grade—when he was preparing for the IIT entrance exam. Years later, Ritesh decides to help MT Sir build a visionary ed-tech startup. But will this guru-shishya duo succeed?
### #1 The protagonist remains distant
*13th* struggles to connect because of its heavy-handed storytelling. Right from the start, Ritesh is portrayed as an aggressive, hot-headed man who marches to the beat of his own drum. Early scenes feature a fiery monologue about his dissatisfaction with his job, which triggers his journey back to MT Sir. Unfortunately, this approach makes it difficult for viewers to empathize with him.
### #2 Too filmy, too theatrical
While the show features some sharp dialogues, most characters deliver lengthy sermons. Conversations between MT Sir and Ritesh often come across as overly dramatic and unnatural—more like caricatures than grounded characters. Interestingly, during flashbacks showing Ritesh’s JEE preparation, MT Sir is seen mentoring him with great dedication. But what about the other students? This selective focus feels unrealistic.
### #3 Supporting characters remain underdeveloped
*13th* is so focused on the two leads that it neglects its supporting cast. Successful series like *Panchayat* and *The Family Man* develop all character arcs to make the story more believable. Sadly, this show does not do that. While Girija Oak, who plays MT Sir’s wife, gets a few meaningful scenes, it isn’t enough to balance the narrative.
### #4 Pahuja and Dev Riar try to keep the series afloat
The show’s watchable moments are largely thanks to the chemistry and acting skills of Paresh Pahuja and Gagan Dev Riar. The series pays tribute to the teacher-student relationship, especially as Ritesh’s life comes full circle in helping MT Sir with his business venture. “I owe my life to him,” Ritesh says, and to repay that debt, he becomes his mentor’s teacher.
**Verdict: Can skip this SonyLIV original**
The biggest flaw of *13th* is that it takes itself far too seriously, making it tough to enjoy what becomes a tedious watch. While we meet Ritesh’s friends early on, their stories are left unexplored. The show aims to capture the pain and anxiety of IIT aspirants and almost succeeds but ultimately fails to fully capitalize on its theme.
**Rating: 2/5 stars**
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