Geetanjali Kulkarni shines in a season that thoughtfully explores women's identity, recognition and the often-overlooked value of domestic labour.
While the first half moves at a frustratingly slow pace, the story finds emotional depth and purpose once Shanti's journey takes centre stage.
The warmth of the Mishra family and the beautifully written relationship between Santosh and Shanti remain Gullak's greatest strengths.
Five seasons in, Gullak has reached a stage where audiences are no longer returning for the story alone. They are returning for the Mishras. The family's living room, the neighbourhood gossip, the endless financial calculations and the familiar rhythm of everyday conversations have become as important as any plot point. Watching Gullak now feels less like starting a new season and more like dropping in on relatives one has known for years.
That familiarity continues to be the show's biggest strength. It is also why Season 5 occasionally feels like it is running on affection rather than momentum.
The season follows the Mishra family through another chapter of middle-class life. Anand struggles with questions about his future, Aman finds himself caught up in problems of his own making, and Santosh continues to carry the financial anxieties that often come with being the head of a household. Yet the most interesting journey this season belongs to Shanti.
For years, Gullak has excelled at capturing middle-class realities that rarely receive attention on screen. This time, it turns its gaze towards something many households still take for granted: the invisible labour and invisible identity of women.
One of the season's strongest ideas emerges through a surprisingly simple observation. In many Indian homes, women spend years being identified through their relationships with others. They become somebody's wife, somebody's mother or somebody's daughter-in-law. Their actual names slowly disappear from everyday use.
Season 5 tackles this reality with sensitivity. Rather than delivering speeches about empowerment, it allows the idea to emerge through ordinary interactions and small moments of frustration. There is something genuinely affecting about watching women begin to demand recognition not for extraordinary achievements but simply for existing as individuals.
The series also raises another important question: why is a working woman's contribution often considered more valuable than that of a housewife?
Shanti's storyline explores this tension beautifully. The emotional weight of maintaining a household, supporting a family and holding relationships together is acknowledged without reducing her character to a symbol. Geetanjali Kulkarni understands exactly how to play these moments. She never pushes for sympathy. Instead, she finds dignity in the ordinary.
It is easily the strongest performance of the season. The emotional core of Gullak, however, remains the relationship between Santosh and Shanti. What continues to separate the show from many family dramas is its understanding of long-term companionship.
Their marriage is not built around dramatic declarations of love. It exists in shared routines, mutual respect and years of accumulated understanding. They know each other's worries before they are spoken aloud. They disagree without becoming cruel. They support one another without making a performance of it.
Few Indian series capture middle-class marriage with this degree of honesty.
Jameel Khan and Geetanjali Kulkarni remain the show's greatest asset because they make that relationship feel completely lived-in.
The season also continues to understand class remarkably well. The Mishras' concerns are rarely dramatic in a conventional sense. A loan, an expense, a job opportunity or a social embarrassment can feel enormous because the show understands how closely dignity and financial stability are linked within middle-class households.
Where Season 5 struggles in, is its pacing.
For a large portion of the first half, very little feels urgent. Individual scenes remain pleasant enough, but the storytelling often drifts. There is a sense that the season is circling its ideas rather than fully engaging with them. By the third episode, the narrative still appears to be searching for its purpose.
Things finally improve around Episode 4. Once the emotional conflicts become clearer and the season begins investing more heavily in Shanti's journey, the storytelling develops focus. The final episodes contain some of the strongest material of the season and serve as a reminder of what Gullak does better than most family dramas.
Anantvijay Joshi settles comfortably into the role of Anand and never feels like a replacement trying to imitate what came before. Harsh Mayar remains dependable as Aman, though his character occasionally feels stuck in familiar territory. The supporting cast contributes effectively, but this season unquestionably belongs to Sunita Rajwar.
The challenge facing Gullak now is the same challenge that confronts many long-running slice-of-life dramas. Familiarity can become comfort, but it can also become repetition. This season succeeds whenever it poses new questions about its characters' lives. It stumbles whenever it relies solely on the audience's existing affection for them.
Gullak Season 5 is not the series at its strongest, but it remains a worthwhile visit with characters who continue to feel real. While the season takes too long to find its footing, its exploration of women's identity, domestic labour and long-term companionship gives it an emotional depth that lingers. The Mishras may not have much new to say this year, but they still know how to make viewers feel at home.
