Indie Web Series: Overtime
Survival seems to be a key trait in most people during these unprecedented times. Whether it applies to a household, workplace, or competition it seems that we might have this quality engraved in our minds due to the variety of chronicles depicted throughout history and the media. The question stands: is this peculiarity is ready at all for something out of this world?
Overtime, a series presented by the company Just Human Things, deems successful in exploring this. The series tells the story of IT co-workers Ramya and Manoj, who get stuck in office as news erupts of an alien invasion in India. Now you might think this could turn out to be a tragic story of enduring survival during unprecedented times, but the show’s presentation of its theme through a comedic aspect is what makes Ramya and Manoj’s journey both intriguing and innovative.
Created by Ashwin Lakshmi and Sidhanta Mathur, the show features a great cast with Ronijni Chakraborty and Harsh Mayar serving as the main focus throughout the show’s first season, as their characters constantly showcase the struggle of being stuck together along with what’s going on in their country. Lakshmi also serves as the writer and director of all episodes showcased on the platform.
The execution of the show reigns as the most impressive quality of Lakshmi’s creation. The cinematic aspect of each episode makes it an exciting display for your eyes. This ties well with the show’s editing, which helps the story not lose its steady pace in its 13 to 17-minute duration of the 5 episodes presented.
This goes hand in hand with the accomplished makeup effects presented in our alien foes in some episodes. Though we only get to see glimpses of some parts of the creatures, the presentation becomes effective, as we get to see the extraterrestrials after their human feast in the building where our main characters are trapped. These are mixed in with shadow effects displaying the creature’s full form which succeeds in keeping the audience curious as to how the true design of the alien is.
The interpretations in the show prove to be fruitful, as our main characters become likable in their evolving relationship during the story’s progression. At first, Ramya and Manoj represent an interesting parallel as we learn the events of the invasion in India. Upon learning the news, Ramya becomes more worried about the electrical problems in the building and her date, while Manoj becomes increasingly worried about his family’s safety.
This becomes an endearing journey for both the audience and characters in terms of how each showcases their priorities due to their upbringings and how they have survived so far in a pre-alien invasion world. This is represented specifically for the character of Manoj, as being left behind by Ramya in the office of the second floor along with the possibility of his family’s death towards the end of the season shatters the striking positive point of view of this well-executed performance by Mayar. This makes up for a great moment where Ramya steps in as Manoj’s silver lining by understanding how meaningful their friendship has become to her.
A detail to notice in this series is the fact that the premise created by Lakshmi is unique in taking a risk to mix up the comedy aspects with themes that represent the majority of the situations affecting the world right now. Subjects such as anxiety, fear, isolation, high-risk areas, and social distancing are what consistently surround our leads dealing with the pros and cons of sharing the office. It is hard to disconnect an association from the viewer’s point of view to the similar avalanche of hardships the world is going through during the COVID-19 era, except for the aliens, of course.
All these details concur with the story in a great way with its survival gimmick. As we are accustomed to seeing survival depicted in critical situations, Lakshmi accomplishes to take a jab at all of the popular genres overtaking the entertainment industry today: showcasing how humans decide to gather up in groups to defend their territory, as depicted in episode 3.
The series premiered on January 29th to critical acclaim. With no less than 305,000 views on YouTube, Overtime has been recognized as the first in its genre in the web series category in their country. The show serves as the second of three projects of Just Human Things, a fiction channel that aims to include both web series and short videos. The platform was launched in 2019 and currently counts with 301,000 subscribers. In showcasing their creations, the company strives for their stories to create hope during a time of sporadic issues around the world. The brand forms part of Writeous Studios along with Yada Yada, which acts as its counterpart with non-fiction content.
Overtime proves to be a successful depiction of survival during times of distress. Though chronicled through a comedic aspect, the show proves that by taking a chance in something new we can all strike a positive cord and find release in the relatability of stories and characters such as Ramya and Manoj. Be sure to not miss out on this game-changing series, as the finale sparks a rush of hope in seeing our office friends continue their path to survival in a second season.
