‘Aspirants’ Recap: From The Tripod’s Journey To The Conflicts That Arise Amid Season 3 Release

March 2026 is gearing up for yet another most-awaited series, Aspirants Season 3. The first season of the show debuted a few years ago, back in 2021. Ever since then, Aspirants has become a cult classic due to how it transformed from a focused depiction of the commonly seen tutoring culture in Delhi’s UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) into an addictive administrative drama. So ahead of Aspirants Season 3’s premiere, let’s take a look back at the story of the primary “tripod” – ‘Abhilash’, ‘Guri’, and ‘SK’. 

The “past” and “present” lives of the main characters and how they were established in Aspirants Season 1 

For those who forgot, in Aspirants Season 1, we were introduced to Delhi’s most popular UPSC prep school, Old Rajinder Nagar (ORN). The story is divided into two parts: the “past”, when the main characters were unsuccessful students, and the “present”, when their friendship has undergone a significant breakdown owing to their differing levels of achievement.  

Giving it one last try, Naveen Kasturia’s ‘Abhilash Sharma’ is portrayed as an ambitious yet egotistical UPSC hopeful. In order to make his character grow, he can be seen going through a series of personal and ethical sacrifices, especially to make the most of his “last chance”. On the other hand, ‘Abhilash’s’ two best friends, ‘Shwetketu’ and ‘Gurpreet’, constantly support him and stay by his side. For the unversed, ‘Shwetketu’ becomes a teacher later on in the same ecosystem, while ‘Gurpreet’ can be seen attempting the civil service exams, failing, and choosing to become a businessman.  

How did the rift form between the main characters, and what was ‘Sandeep Bhaiya’s’ role in the story? 

‘Sandeep Bhaiya’, whose real name is ‘Sandeep Singh Ohlan’, was seen as a senior aspirant in Season 1. He had actually failed the Mains quite a lot of times, but still mentored ‘Abhilash’. It was he who gave the fan-favourite analogies about “blub” and “girlfriend” to describe concentration and commitment. While ‘Sandeep Bhaiya’ failed to become an IAS official like he had hoped, ‘Abhilash’ successfully passed the test. Following this, high on success, he disappears from his best friends’ lives for several years. Only in the “present” timeline did they get together, but still, it is clear to viewers that they were hurt by ‘Abhilash’s’ haughtiness and disconnection.  

In Aspirants Season 2, we get to see ‘Abhilash’ assuming the role of Rampur’s District Magistrate (DM). Here, his responsibilities included bringing the district up to date and executing large-scale industrial projects. It quickly becomes clear that his idealistic student life was replaced by the practical, frigid realities of management.  

Aspirants Season 2’s conflict between DM ‘Abhilash’ and Assistant Labour Commissioner ‘Sandeep’  

The major conflict that occurs in Aspirants Season 2 is between DM ‘Abhilash’ and ‘Sandeep’, who has already assumed the role of Assistant Labour Commissioner (ALC) after graduating from the Provincial Civil Services (PCS). As students, the duo were seen as mentor and mentee, but their dynamic has now shifted to opposite sides, with ‘Sandeep’ fighting for workers’ rights and ‘Abhilash’ constantly keeping the state’s economic interests in mind. To ‘Sandeep’, ‘Abhilash’ sidestepping the workers’ issues felt like a betrayal of all the principles they had previously discussed in ORN.  

While ‘Sandeep’ and ‘Abhilash’s’ conflict takes centre stage in Season 2, fresh strains can also be seen in the friendship of the tripod. It all happened when ‘Gurpreet’, now a businessman, requested a government tender. With ‘Abhilash’s’ administration involved in the same, allegations of favouritism and corruption are levied against ‘Abhilash’, eventually leading to an investigation being launched against him.  

Which previous cast and crew members will return to Aspirants Season 3? 

Aspirants Season 3 is produced by The Viral Fever (TVF) and directed by Deepesh Sumitra Jagdish. According to reports, no changes have been made to the primary cast. Actor, Naveen Kasturia will return as ‘Abhilash Sharma’, Sunny Hinduja as ‘Sandeep Singh Ohlan’, Abhilash Thapliyal as ‘SK’, Shivakit Singh Parihar as ‘Guri’, Tengam Celine as ‘Deepa Nabam’ and Namita Dubey as ‘Dhariya’. Based on the Aspirants Season 3 trailer, the new member who joins the cast is Jatin Goswami.  

Aspirants Season 3 starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video from March 13, 2026. Don’t forget to share your reviews with us after you watch the show.  

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