Noida: It took 27-year-old Mansi Guherr a moment to register that her neighbourhood, a residential society in Noida Sector 92, was the backdrop of Netflix’s latest show, Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper. “Hey, this is from our place,” she and her friends whooped in delight as they hit pause on the laptop to celebrate Noida’s entry into the mainstream.
“We felt so proud, as if Noida had gained national recognition,” said Guherr, a content creator who goes by offbeatmansi on Instagram.
For decades, Mumbai and Delhi were fodder for movie and OTT directors. And when the gaze swung to small-town India, it was almost as if Noida was overlooked.
Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper rectifies this. Now, Noida has stepped out of the shadow of Delhi and Gurugram. The nine-part series on the adventures of a chartered accountant from Noida who becomes a sought-after gigolo is grounded in Noida’s subculture.
Created by Mirzapur’s Puneet Krishna and co-directed by Amrit Raj Gupta, the series marks a shift from the gritty landscapes of Mirzapur and Gangs of Wasseypur (set in Dhanbad, Jharkhand).
“When I began writing the script, I had specific characteristics of the city in mind. I was sure it shouldn’t be a big metro town like Delhi or Mumbai. It needed to be a smaller town that is the melting pot of cultures. Noida perfectly fit that description,” said creator and scriptwriter Puneet Krishna to ThePrint.
For Noida residents like Guherr, it’s an affirmation that their city has ‘arrived’. Even its catchy theme song places Noida front and centre—”Noida, Noida, Noida… Yeh hai iski destiny… Yeh hai common man…”. It is immediately clear that the city is a character in the show—shrouded in secrecy with a hidden underbelly.
Guherr has been enthusiastically discussing the web series with everyone and is writing a script for a reel, where he character ‘Noida girl’ reacts to the show. She can’t wait to share her joy with her 60,000 Instagram followers.
“Noida is getting famous! For a long time, we’ve been mocked, but now everyone is acknowledging that Noida is a new-age city,” said Guherr, unable to contain her excitement.
Also read: Netflix show on CA topper is out—and ICAI wants to dissect episodes, escalate legal conflict
Duality of Noida
The show, released on 18 July, contrasts two aspects of Noida through its main characters. The hardworking CA topper Tribhuvan Mishra played by Manav Kaul, who works with the Noida Town and Planning department, is pitted against local gangster Teeka Ram Jain (Shubhrajyoti Barat).
One represents the urban middle class and the other traditional Uttar Pradesh. This duality is exactly what Krishna, the scriptwriter of the acclaimed web show Mirzapur, wanted for the show.
“Noida obviously has people from UP. It also has people from Bihar. It has a heterogenous dialect. But most importantly, it has a corporate structure. There are IT companies and a big manufacturing hub. So, by extension, a lot of people from other states are also working there,” said Krishna.
When the hardworking by-the-book Mishra falls on tough times, he decides to become an escort to supplement his income; and is very good at it. He rides around Noida in a yellow scooter to meet women who can afford his service. But soon, his sexual prowess finds him tangled in a web of lies, murder, and crime.
Rakesh Kumar, an RJ at AIR FM Gold and a resident of Noida is thrilled by the depiction of his city, and the fact that it captures the city’s multifaceted character, turning it into a “land of creativity”.
“Because of its proximity to Delhi, Noida attracts young minds from various parts of the country. This makes the town not only cosmopolitan but also multicultural and diverse, while still retaining its traditional essence,” said Kumar.
However, Krishna had never visited Noida before writing the script. Though, his parents lived in Meerut, and he would pass through Noida during his travels, giving him a sense of the city’s character.
“And when I started shooting in the city, I realised how welcoming Noida is and how warm the people are. The city has a lot of flavour and colour, which confirmed my decision to set my characters in Noida.”
Also read: Noida has a thriving black market in farmhouses. Delhi’s partying rich are driving it
Ease of doing cinema
In one scene, gangster Eshan Quershi tells Teeka Ram Jain—both contract killers—that “Noida ke meeyan mei bas ek Talwar rahegi” (In the sheath of Noida, there will be only one sword).
For Anam Kumar, a resident of Noida Sector 100, it’s a peek into Noida’s underworld.
“It strikes you that it’s not Mirzapur or Gangs of Wasseypur but an NCR town’s dark underbelly,” said Kumar, who has watched the series twice—once with his friends and once with family.
From Atta Market to Sector 92, with its wide roads and sleek metros—director Amrit Raj Gupta has captured Noida’s full potential. He found the experience smooth and enriching.
“Delhi and Mumbai are more cramped, while Noida is spacious. The wide roads made shooting easier,” Gupta said. He and Krishna found that getting shooting permits was straightforward, and the authorities were supportive.
Noida is also set to build an International Film City, with filmmaker Boney Kapoor’s production house, Bayview Projects, signing an agreement with Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) on 27 June. The film city is touted as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “dream project”.
“The city is clean, well-planned, and modern, making it a great place for filmmaking with plenty of potential for new stories,” said Krishna. “Many friends were impressed by how quickly they got clearances in Noida. It’s easier to shoot here than in Mumbai.”
Establishing a scene in Mumbai and Delhi relies on landmarks like Marine Drive and the Gateway of India or the India Gate and Parliament, Noida’s identity, on the other hand, comes through in other ways.
In the show, a builder asks Mishra to clear his files on middle-income group flats. It’s a not-so-subtle nod to the city’s controversial construction delays. It’s unmistakably Noida.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)