**By Isha Sharma | Oct 01, 2025 12:02 am**
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### What’s the Story?
*13th*, now 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 series immediately brings to mind The Viral Fever (TVF)’s projects due to its rawness and theme. However, that’s where the similarities end.
Despite an interesting premise inspired by the life of Competishun founder Mohit Tyagi, *13th* never quite takes off.
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### Plot: A Student Helps His Teacher Realize His Dream
The show follows Ritesh (Paresh Pahuja), a rising venture capitalist who gives up his high-paying job to help his mentor, MT Sir (Gagan Dev Riar). MT Sir taught Ritesh during his “13th year,” the drop year after the 12th grade when Ritesh was an IIT aspirant.
Years later, Ritesh decides to help MT Sir build a visionary ed-tech startup. But will the guru-shishya duo succeed?
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### #1 The Protagonist Remains Distant
*13th* fails to connect emotionally due to its heavy-handed storytelling. From the very first frame, Ritesh is painted as an aggressive, hot-headed man who marches to the beat of his own drum. Early on, he delivers a fiery speech about his dissatisfaction with his job, setting in motion the events that lead him back to his mentor.
Unfortunately, the portrayal keeps him at a distance from the audience, making it difficult to empathize with his journey.
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### #2 Too Filmy, Too Theatrical
The show is heavily dialogue-driven, featuring some sharp lines but mostly coming across as full-fledged sermons. Conversations between MT Sir and Ritesh feel unnatural and overly dramatic, making the characters seem like cardboard cutouts rather than real people.
Interestingly, during the flashback scenes of Ritesh’s JEE preparation, MT Sir’s dedicated mentoring is shown in detail—but what about the other students? This question remains unanswered.
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### #3 Underdeveloped Supporting Characters
*13th* focuses intensely on its two leads, largely neglecting the supporting cast. Unlike successful shows such as *Panchayat* or *The Family Man*, which develop all characters to enrich the narrative, this series barely touches upon the arcs of side characters.
Girija Oak, who plays MT Sir’s wife, is given some decent scenes, but this is not enough to add depth to the overall story.
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### #4 Pahuja and Dev Riar Keep the Series Afloat
The most watchable moments in *13th* come from the camaraderie and chemistry between Paresh Pahuja and Gagan Dev Riar. The show pays tribute to the special bond between teachers and students, especially through Ritesh’s full-circle journey, where he helps his mentor build a business.
“I owe my life to him,” Ritesh admits, and in return, he becomes the mentor’s teacher—a touching sentiment amidst the drama.
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### Verdict: Can Skip This SonyLIV Original
*13th*’s biggest flaw is that it takes itself too seriously, resulting in a tedious viewing experience. While the series introduces Ritesh’s friends early on, their characters are never properly fleshed out.
The show aims to capture the ache and angst of IIT aspirants and comes close, but ultimately fails to fully capitalize on its compelling theme.
**Rating: 2/5 stars**
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/entertainment/gagan-dev-riar-sonyliv-s-13th-review/story