Prime Video sets March 13 premiere for 'Aspirants' season three

Mumbai, Mar 2 (PTI) Streaming service Prime Video on Monday announced that the third season of its acclaimed Hindi drama series "Aspirants", produced by The Viral Fever (TVF), will premiere on the platform on March 13.

Actors Naveen Kasturia, Shivankit Singh Parihar, Abhilash Thapliyal, Sunny Hinduja, Namita Dubey, and Tengam Celine reprise their roles from previous seasons, with Jatin Goswami joining the cast as a new addition.

The series, directed by Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish, will stream exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide, a press release said.

"Aspirants" is about three friends, Abhilash, Guri and SK, as they prepare for the UPSC civil services examination in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar.

Moving between their struggling student years and their present-day lives, the series explores friendship, ambition, failure and the emotional toll of tying one’s identity to a single high-stakes exam.

Season three will follows IAS officer Abhilash (Kasturia) across two timelines.

"In the present, an inquiry is initiated against him following allegations made by ALC Sandeep Ohlan, putting his personal relationships with Deepa, Guri, Dhairya, SK, and Sandeep under strain while disrupting his professional goals against a new rival.

"In the past, after qualifying for the IRS, a young Abhilash chooses to prepare for the IAS one final time from Mukherjee Nagar, navigating new friendships and rivalries," read the official logline.

Manish Menghani, Director and Head, Content Licensing, Amazon Prime Video India, said "Aspirants" had built an enduring connection with audiences through its portrayal of aspiration, ambition, and responsibility.

"Our longstanding collaboration with The Viral Fever has allowed us to nurture this story with passion over multiple seasons, and we are delighted to bring the next chapter of Aspirants to audiences across India and beyond," he added.

Vijay Koshy, President and Business Head at TVF, said the new season allows the team to explore a crucial stage of Abhilash's life, as personal and professional challenges test him in new ways.

"At its core, Aspirants has always been about the choices that shape a person’s journey... Through dual timelines, we revisit Abhilash's final attempt at the IAS examination while in the present he deals with the consequences of the path he has chosen. We are grateful to Prime Video for continuing to support the series and helping it reach audiences globally," he said.

"Aspirants" first premiered on YouTube in 2021 before its second season moved to Prime Video in 2023.

The series has been widely praised for its realistic portrayal of civil services aspirants and the pressures of competitive examinations in India. PTI RB RB