Sony LIV's 'Bench Life': A must-watch for these reasons
In the ever-growing landscape of Telugu digital content, Sony LIV's latest original series 'Bench Life' stands out as a must-watch gem. Directed by the talented Manasa Sharma and produced by Niharika Konidela's Pink Elephant Pictures, this captivating series has been making waves with its unique blend of relatable characters, engaging storylines, and authentic portrayal of everyday life. With its fresh perspective, nuanced performances, and thoughtful exploration of themes that resonate with audiences, 'Bench Life' is a compelling addition to the world of Telugu storytelling. Here are just a few reasons why this series, also released in other languages including Hindi, deserves a spot on your watchlist.
It’s a refreshing slice-of-life comedy:
If you need a break from watching intense crime thrillers, then ‘Bench Life’ is a refreshing change. An entertaining office drama, it will bring you good laughs, especially with the one liners of Balu’s character. But that’s not all about it. The series also runs high on emotional and romantic stories. On one end, you have a father who tries to mend his relations with his daughter, and on the other side you have a non-benched team leader who is in love with one of his colleagues.
With characters that resonate deeply, this series is utterly captivating:
Although ‘Bench Life’ throws light on the lives of employees of the corporate world, every character is highly relatable. Meenakshi, played by Ritika Singh is an aspiring filmmaker who is forced to join a regular 9 to 5 job. Her mother wouldn’t approve of her career as a director, and is after her to get married. Similarly, Ravi (Charan Peri) wants to go on a Goa trip with his best friends, but isn’t able to. Not just these two characters, but Isha (Aakanksha Singh) and Balu’s (Vaibhav Reddy) roles are something that the audience will highly relate to.
This show is held up by its performances:
One of the key factors that drive the series is its actors. The makers have brought together a stunning line of actors who will impress you with their acts, especially veteran Telugu actor Rajendra Prasad who is like a breath of fresh air among these young stars. He plays Isha’s father and a new employee on the bench who is a retired IPS officer. Although every actor has performed their best in the series, making it a dream cast, two actors that you will absolutely fall in love with are Vaibhav and Ritika as Balu and Meenakshi, respectively. Balu brings the needed humour to the screen while Meenakshi’s character has been written with depth.
Short, sweet and non-preachy:
In times when you have series that are as long as 12 episodes, ‘Bench Life’ is a short series spread over only six episodes. Each episode is about 35-40 minutes long. The story has not been dragged unnecessarily, it is a short and sweet watch. Another factor that works in its favour is that the ‘Bench Life’ team hasn’t tried to become preachy with its content. It’s a no-brainer series that caters to the family audience as well but is mostly relatable by the youth.