Cutting (Season 1) review: Charming comedy about the inner workings of a local men’s salon

The setting of OHO Gujarati’s latest original offering is a fictional men’s barbershop in Ahmedabad, Perfect Look Salon, run by brothers Sunny (Mayur Chauhan aka Michael) and Bobby (Hemang Shah). The siblings don’t see eye to eye on many matters but are committed to running the family business, left to them by their father.

Their conflicting style of working automatically leads to clashes. The younger brother, Bobby, is more business-minded, while Sunny, a perfectionist, believes himself to be an artist primarily. What they both agree upon is taking care of their customer’s needs, and each episode in the first season of Cutting involves the brothers dealing with a dilemma in the salon.

Some issues are minor, like a customer Jimit (Jagjeetsinh Vadher) being pressurised to shave off his beard before meeting his girlfriend’s parents, while others are more significant like fixing ties between father and son, or brothers, just like themselves. The mood at the Perfect Look Salon is welcoming, with the customer feeling at ease to unburden themselves when they plop onto the chair.

Since it is a men’s salon, the presence of women is almost fleeting, but there is a lesson to be learnt in each episode, both for the customer and the siblings. Sunny and Bobby are both friend and counsellor to their clients, taking care of their looks and easing their minds.

Chauhan and Shah lead the show as the quarrelling brothers and each episode focuses on a customer in conflict. The guest stars on these episodes, like Tik Tok star d_precious (Aariz Saiyed), leave their mark.

The writing by Abhinav Vaidya is both witty and entertaining, and the direction by Pratik Kothari keeps the ship running smoothly. The first season is delightful and charming, despite it being confined to a small space.

The show uses its setting to its advantage, using local flavour and humour to good effect. The result is an enjoyable trip to the salon, where you are just one of the guys.

Cutting (Season 1) is now streaming on OHO Gujarati.