Finding lessons beyond the classroom

The series is a heartfelt story about mentorship, gratitude and second chances

- Vidhi Santosh Mehta

Sony LIV’s upcoming series 13: Some Lessons Arent Taught in the Classroom, releasing on October 1, brings together actors Gagan Dev Riar and Paresh Pahuja in a heartfelt story about mentorship, gratitude and second chances. In an exclusive Zoom call with the Free Press Journal, the duo opened up about what drew them to the project, the challenges of portraying characters across timelines, and why they believe this slice-of-life drama will resonate with audiences looking for hope amid the noise of thrillers and mysteries.

For both Gagan and Paresh, the script itself was the first hook. Gagan recalls his first reaction as finding it "very fresh" and a retelling of a familiar world in a new way. Paresh echoes the sentiment, saying, "My first reaction was wow, it's a good script. Everything around me thenwas only about thrillers and murder mysteries. I wanted to see something hopeful, and this felt like the kind of show I wanted to watch myself."

The story follows Ritesh, who leaves behind a fast-paced venture capital world to stand by his mentor, MT Sir. Paresh, who plays Ritesh, connected deeply with this dual journey. "Ritesh has two timelines, and I've been in both. One is the version that tries to do everything on its own, isolating himself. The other is somebody in a position to offer value to someone else. I want to build that sense of community myself, to give back to younger artists."