Three students from a poor neighborhood join an exclusive high school for Delhi elite where dark secrets and rumors ultimately lead to murder.

Title: Class

Cast: Gurfateh Pirzada, Piyush Khati, Anjali Sivaraman

Director: Ashim Ahluwalia

“Class” is a Netflix original series based on the Spanish series “Elite”. The show takes place in the Hampton International School in New Delhi and follows the lives of five families as they navigate through a complex world filled with class and culture clashes, values, secrets, and violence. The series focuses on the relationships and conflicts between three new students from lower-class backgrounds and the wealthy and privileged students at the school.

One of the strengths of “Class” is that it presents a well-rounded view of its characters. Each of them is flawed, with values that are shaky and the viewer cannot easily attach empathy to any group or individual. The color palette, music, production design, and cinematography are all impressive, working together to create an immersive world that is vivid and often outrageous.

The show also tackles complex themes like poverty, wealth-gap, gender, sexuality, and caste, while avoiding preaching or over-compensating on the side of the less privileged. The series director, Ashim Ahluwalia, does an excellent job of balancing these themes and presenting them in a way that is relatable and relevant to a Gen-Z audience.

However, some reviewers criticize the show for its crudeness, which can be intense and insistent and sometimes borders on self-parody. The depravity of the wealth-gap and the objectionable teenage behavior can be overwhelming at times, but “Class” always stops short of being gratuitous.

The young actors who play the lead roles in “Class” deliver powerful performances that are authentic and relatable, giving their roles a truly lived-in feel. The sound design team should also be commended for their excellent work, adding to the show’s overall immersive experience.

In conclusion, “Class” is an ambitious and well-crafted series that tackles complex themes in a way that is sensitive and relatable. The show’s crudeness is offset by its impressive cinematography, production design, and powerful performances by its young actors. If you’re looking for a crime drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you think, “Class” is definitely worth a watch.