Bakaiti review: A heartfelt and heart-tugging love letter to slice-of-life stories

Bakaiti web series review

‘Bakaiti’ unveils itself breezily with the view of an observant – director Ameet Guptha takes us through the daily squabbles of the siblings that unfold under the watchful eyes of their parents, who juggle unspoken grief, mounting pressure, financial instability, and the daily grind of making ends meet.

While the family navigates surmounting tension, there’s pressure from Sanjay’s younger brother, Ajay (Parvinder Jit Singh, brilliant) to sell their house after their father’s demise. As the ambitious Naina seeks space and the cricket-crazy Bharat tests limits, their parents navigate the ups and downs with humour and heart. But the conflict doesn’t stop at the kids—there’s a deeper divide between Sanjay, the emotionally-driven elder brother, and Ajay being the practical one.

The overarching themes of ‘Bakaiti’ might resonate with many family dramas, but what glosses this web-series are its nuances and detailing. It captures the DNA of middle-class family machinery with its gentle frames (DoP Raju Ramprasad Gauli). Conceptualized by Ria Chibber and scripted by a team of three, Gaurav Madan, Pranjal Dubey and Tatsat Pandey, ‘Bakaiti’ excavates the constant push and pull, layered with everyday chaos and clashing perspectives, form the heart of the Kataria household. A nagging water meter alarm, ‘Paani ki Tanki full ho gayi hai’, Bijli ka Bill and AC lagana hai bickering by the permanently sedentary Nana ji (Ramesh Rai), the terrace steps and dining table conversations play out as its necessary yet delightful fringes.

Yet through it all, love lingers—unspoken, unexpressed but ever-present. ‘Bakaiti’’s narrative is nurtured by an engaging screenplay by Gunjan Saxena, Neha Pawar and Sheetal Kapoor, who garnish the banter and bickering with a lived-in offering and sharp dialogues.

It would be harmless if I say that it is Z5’s ‘Gullak’ – the brother from another mother. In an era where OTT is governed by noise and nuisance, ‘Bakaiti’ stays silent and sober quite paradoxically (as per its title) and thus it meaningfully celebrates the myriad imperfections, unpredictable and the unmistakably real tenets of a family.

I was intermittently reminded of Rajat Kapoor’s ‘Aankhon Dekhi’ when I watched the fraternal fracas brewing at the Kataria Kutir. While the former had a sombre voice, ‘Bakaiti’’s conflicts get uplifted by an inherently decent but incredibly talented Rajesh Tailang playing his part with grace and vulnerability and emerging as a quiet force of resilience. Rajesh and Sheeba rekindle their on-screen marital dynamics from Mirzapur and Bandish Bandits, and they do it with such flawless synergy. The younger brigade – Tanya and Akash – are a genuinely rare find. They are not acting, they are breathing and living their parts. That is where ‘Bakaiti’ actually finds its raw pulse. Watch out for those confrontational scenes of Tanya with Rajesh and Sheeba – they are straight out of life! 

I go with 4 stars out of 5 for Bakaiti. It only touches your heart but also soothes your soul.

The seven-part web series is produced by Dice Media Productions and streaming on Z5 from 1st August 2025.