It’s time for the final roll call. Who’s back and who’s new to Kota Factory season 3?
Akhil Arora, a member of the Film Critics Guild and a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic, who has been reporting on Netflix originals since 2015. He has written for NDTV and SlashFilm.
After a nearly three-year-long absence—1000 days, to be exact—Kota Factory is back. The black-and-white Netflix series about aspiring engineers returns for its third season on Thursday, June 20. Could this also be the show’s final season? Netflix’s announcement seemed to suggest that, calling it “the final roll call … as the dreamers and Aimers—Vaibhav, Meena, Uday, Vartika, and Shivangi—prepare for a life-altering exam.” After all, the gang is set to appear for the IIT entrance exams in season 3, so unless the show plans to follow them outside of Kota or move on to different students, this seems like the end for Kota Factory.
What can you expect from season 3? Per Netflix, there’ll be gully cricket, secret study dates, random birthday cakes, and scribbled whiteboards. I mean, that last one goes without saying. This is a show about students. Alongside, expect some profound wisdom from the trusted mentor-teacher Jeetu Bhaiya who’s also dealing with the demands of his position following the tragic season 2 cliffhanger that saw a student take their own life. (Given how long it’s been, you might have likely forgotten that just as I did. Season 2 is a distant part of my brain alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Behind the scenes, Kota Factory showrunner Raghav Subbu has relinquished directing duties. Pratish Mehta—who helmed the miniseries Half CA and SK Sir Ki Class, both for Kota Factory studio The Viral Fever—is the new director of season 3. TVF founder Arunabh Kumar is a producer on season 3. (Kumar was accused of sexual harassment by nine women in 2017. A Mumbai court acquitted him in one of the cases in 2022.)
With here, let’s look at Kota Factory’s returning ensemble cast and who’s joining them in the third season.
Kota Factory season 3 cast: who’s back?
The full main cast of the Netflix series is back for the third and final round. That includes the nine characters who were also involved in season 2.
Jeetu Bhaiya (Jitendra Kumar)
Kumar plays Jeetu Bhaiya, everyone’s favourite teacher in Kota who offers life’s wisdom along with physics lessons. Jeetu Bhaiya is always ready to go further than a teacher’s duties though he begins to question his choices in the wake of what happened in the second season finale.
Vaibhav Pandey (Mayur More)
More plays Vaibhav Pandey, one of the three boys in the central student trio who serves as our gateway to the hellfire of Kota. With the IIT examinations due this year, Vaibhav is more nervous than ever about what he’s doing in Kota and what it’s all for. Vartika is his girlfriend.
Balmukund Meena (Ranjan Raj)
Raj plays Balmukund Meena, one of the three boys in the central trio who’s distinguished by his use of shudh Hindi, his underprivileged background, and his forever desire to study more. Can Meena overcome the odds and get into the nation’s most prestigious universities?
Uday Gupta (Alam Khan)
Khan plays Uday Gupta, one of the three boys in the central trio who’s least bothered about studying. As the pressure builds up in the final year at Kota, how will Uday react to what’s going on around him? Shivangi is his girlfriend.
Shivangi Ranawat (Ahsaas Channa)
Channa plays Shivangi Ranawat, a NEET aspirant who’s hoping to land a seat in one of the top AIIMS medical universities. She’s different from everyone in Kota Factory in that she’s studying to be a doctor. Uday is her boyfriend.
Vartika Ratawal (Revathi Pillai)
Pillai plays Vartika Ratawal, an IIT aspirant who’s part of the Aimers gang alongside the boys. Falling behind on her preparations in season 3, Vartika must confront and deal with a tricky situation involving her boyfriend and study partner Vaibhav.
Meenal Parekh (Urvi Singh)
Singh plays Meenal Parekh, the spectacled IIT aspirant who’s part of the Aimers gang alongside the boys. Meena’s unlikely study partner—there is possibly nothing more between them—Meenal is the most periphery of the lot among the Kota Factory cast.
Gagan Rastogi (Rajesh Kumar)
Kumar plays Gagan Rastogi, the mathematics teacher at Aimers whose views don’t always align with Jeetu Bhaiya. With everyone’s favourite teacher not his usual self, will Gagan Sir rise to the occasion or opt for his usual path?
Bablu (Harish Peddinti)
Peddinti plays Bablu, Jeetu Bhaiya’s assistant who helps ensure that Aimers run smoothly. In the third season, Bablu must balance the coaching centre’s growing pains with the philosophies put in place by Jeetu Bhaiya.
Kota Factory season 3 cast: who’s new?
The third season adds two stars to the main cast of the Netflix series. Beyond this, there are a bunch of guest faces who will appear for one episode or more.
Pooja (Tillotama Shome)
Shome—who was last seen in The Night Manager—plays Pooja, the new chemistry teacher at Aimers who has a unique way of relating with the kids. A family situation might have brought Pooja Didi from Jaipur to Kota, but will she stay?
Dr. Sudha Vyas (Sohaila Kapur)
Kapur plays Dr. Sudha Vyas, Jeetu Bhaiya’s therapist in Kota Factory season 3. A calm woman who’s always ready with an anecdote, Dr. Vyas might be just the person Jeetu Bhaiya needs to help him with his troubles following the tragic event.
What do you think?