Raghav Subbu, and Patrish Mehta’s Kota Factory make us privy to the coaching capital of India and how education was commercialized in the small city. While many students found order in that kind of chaos, there were others who lost everything in the process. Kota Factory makes you think about the state of society and what we are inflicting upon the young minds of our country. So let’s find out what happened in Kota Factory seasons 1 and 2 and what are the essential plot points that you need to know before the arrival of final season, i.e., Season 3.
Spoilers Ahead
How was Vaibhav’s experience in Kota?
We have all heard stories about Kota and how the small city has become the epicenter of IIT coaching. Every year, hundreds of students reach the city to prepare for one of the toughest examinations in the country. Vaibhav came to the city even when his father was of the opinion that he should stay back with the family and prepare for the entrance examination from there itself. But Vaibhav was hellbent on joining the coaching institute in Kota itself, as he felt that being around like-minded people would allow him to focus more and do better in the exams. Vaibhav joined Prodigy Coaching, and he was disappointed about why he was put in the A10 batch. Vaibhav knew that teachers did not pay a lot of attention to the lower-ranking batches, and he was adamant about getting his class changed. He met Jeetu Bhaiya for the first time when he was arguing with the owner of the coaching school about changing his class. Jeetu gave him a set of questions and asked him to solve them if he wanted an upgrade in his class. Jeetu was not unlike any other teacher in Kota. He was an IIT graduate, and the kids in Kota idolized him. He had a very different viewpoint on failure and success. He knew that life didn’t end if someone didn’t crack IIT. He professed that just because a boy or girl had failed in the examination, it didn’t mean that they wouldn’t be able to do any good in their life. He also shared a very strong bond with all his students, as he didn’t think that his job was limited to his class. He knew that, at times, the students needed guidance to deal with their personal issues, and he made sure that he was always there for them. Vaibhav had a tough time coping with the strenuous schedule, but Jeetu Bhaiya came to his rescue, and soon, the former found friends who made life a bit bearable in Kota. Meena and Uday were the kind of people who always have your back. Uday had a girlfriend named Shivangi, who was preparing for her medical entrance examination. Meena, on the other hand, was like the mother of the group. He made sure that everybody was fine, and he was the first one to arrive whenever anybody was in need of help.
What happened between Vaibhav and Vartika?
In Kota Factory season 2, we saw that Vaibhav and Vartika came quite close to each other, but for the longest time, they weren’t able to express their feelings. They were shy, awkward people who didn’t know how to take things forward. Had it not been for Shivangi, they would have never told each other how much they loved each other. Shivangi literally forced them to sit together and asked them to stop beating around the bush and accept whatever they felt for each other.
Now, it all started with Vaibhav teaching Vartika for her entrance examinations for the prestigious Maheshwari Coaching. Vaibhav just needed a chance to spend time with Vartika, and even when he had no knowledge about a topic, he made sure that he studied it and then taught her. But a twist came in the story when Vaibhav got through the entrance examination of the Maheswari coaching, but Vartika was disqualified. Vaibhav didn’t know how to talk to Vartika about this situation, and for the longest time, he didn’t talk to her. Vaibhav didn’t want to join the institute, as he had already become accustomed to Prodigy Coaching and everything else that came with it. But Jeetu Bhaiya had a different viewpoint. He told him that his aim was to crack the IIT examination, and so nothing should come in between him and his success. The best minds studied in Maheshwari’s classes, and Jeetu bhaiya told Vaibhav that it was a good way for him to improve his skills. So Vaibhav joined Maheshwari classes, and he was a bit amused when he got to know that Vartika didn’t feel bad at all about not being able to crack the entrance exams. Meena and Uday were disheartened, as they knew that they wouldn’t be able to meet regularly as Maheshwari classes were a bit far from where they stayed. But they also knew that it was the best thing for Vaibhav and that he should definitely join the classes if it helped him in his studies. So Vaibhav took a new apartment, and he made a new friend named Sushrut, who was living in the same complex. Life was fine until Vaibhav realized that he was not able to understand anything in physics class, and that’s when he decided that he would have to do something about the situation.
What problems did Vaibhav have in Maheshwari classes?
In the second season, we saw that Vaibhav had a lot of problems in Maheshwari classes. He decided that he would skip physics lectures and go to Jeetu Bhaiya’s classes to study the subject. However, the problem was that the gates of Maheshwari Coaching didn’t open, and the students were not allowed to leave the premises before the day was over. Vaibav tried bribing the guard, but it didn’t help, and one fine day, Maheshwari sir caught him red-handed. Keshav Maheshwari was a true blue capitalist, and for him, a good student was like an asset. He had commercialized the entire education system, and there was a billion-dollar industry operating in Kota now. Around this time, even Jeetu Bhaiya had left Prodigy, and he started his own coaching institute under the name of Aimers. Jeetu Bhaiya already had a fan following, and he knew that his name would attract students to study under his guidance.
Keshav Maheshwari had given a very demotivating speech during the orientation, and Vaibhav didn’t know what to make of it. He questioned his own decision of leaving Prodigy and coming to Maheshwari. The environment over there was unhealthy and toxic, and even if an individual did not want to study like they were in a rat race, they had to fall in line and study in a robotic fashion. One’s worthiness was based on their mark, and the students were brainwashed into believing that if they weren’t able to crack the IIT-JEE examinations, then their lives were a waste. Vaibhav met Keshav Maheshwari, and he told him that he wanted to attend Jeetu Bhaiya’s class for physics. Maheshwari sir agreed, and he even tried to poach Jeetu Bhaiya, though he knew that the man wouldn’t join his coaching. Maheshwari sir had a lot of respect for people like Jeetu, as he knew of their potential. So basically, Vaibhav started studying in Maheswari classes, but for his physics and life lessons, he went to Jeetu’s coaching classes.
Was Jeetu able to start his coaching?
Jeetu bhaiya wanted Sarika Mittal and Gagan Rastogi to be a part of his coaching institute. But it was not an easy job to start an institute when there was so much competition in the market. But what made Jeetu Bhaiya different from others was his compassion and his insight into human behavior and life in Kota in general. When Vaibhav fell ill in the second season, he asked him to call his mother, though for the longest time, Vaibhav didn’t know how to do that. Jeetu Bhaiya always said one thing: if a student wasn’t able to crack the examination, it didn’t mean that he was a failure. He always threw a party for those who weren’t able to qualify because he knew that there were students who just couldn’t handle failure, and the thought of them taking some drastic step scared Jeetu. He wanted to make them understand that not being able to qualify for the examination was not the end, but he knew that his words could only help them to a certain extent.
In Kota Factory season 2’s ending, Jeetu’s worst fears came true when a girl died by suicide after she failed to crack the IIT exams. When Jeetu learned about it, he just became numb, unable to understand what to do or what to feel. Jeetu Bhaiya also faced challenges in his professional life. He had decided that he wanted to start his own coaching institute, but there were many roadblocks that he needed to cross to run an institute. Sarika Mittal backed out at the last moment because she was probably approached by Maheshwari classes. That said, Gagan sir showed up during the conference that Jeetu had kept for the parents. Not a lot of parents enrolled their kids, and Jeetu’s confidence was shaken as he did not know if his bet would pay off or not. The results of the IIT examinations were announced, and once again, a student from Maheshwari classes got the first rank. The boy was given a BMW, and he was made to feel like a king. The downside of all the commercialization was that a student who secured rank 4 cried his heart out after he saw a poster of his colleague who bagged the first position. I mean, in an examination where lakhs of people apply, and there are only a few thousand seats available, it is an achievement to secure the fourth rank. But still, that kid cried because he felt like he had lost the battle. He felt as if he had not done enough. The students made IIT the purpose of their lives, and they felt that it was a privilege to refer to themselves as “IIT material.” But life was so much more than just cracking an examination, and I feel that the students needed people like Jeetu Bhaiya to make them understand that.
